Jonathan Yeo unveils Sienna Miller pregnant nude

British artist Jonathan Yeo has unveiled a nude portrait of pregnant actress Sienna Miller.

Recalling the famous photo of US actress Demi Moore on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine in 1991, Miller, 30, posed for the painting just weeks before the birth of her daughter.

It will be shown at Yeo's (I've Got You) Under My Skin exhibition in Berlin.

He said it "epitomised the human body in its most naturally beautiful state."

The painting, which can be seen in full on Yeo's website, contrasts with other paintings in the exhibition which document cosmetic surgery patients.

The exhibition was shown in the UK earlier this year.

Yeo added: "It made sense to me to unveil this image for the first time in Germany, a country with a very relaxed attitude to nudity, where it is not automatically sexualised or deemed scandalous.

"The power of the painting partly lies in the fact that Sienna is widely regarded as being one of the most naturally beautiful actresses in the world as well as being a fashion icon to a generation of girls.

"It is a tribute to her courage and self-confidence that she agreed to sit for this. I can think of many figures whose public currency in part revolves around their appearance, who would prefer to hide themselves away for nine months."

The artist painted a portrait of Miller previously in 2010.

Of his latest work, he said, "I hope this painting also captures some of that moment of transition between youth and parenthood - a combination of excitement and trepidation and vulnerability - which is an inevitable part of the cycle of life."

Yeo, the son of former Conservative Minister Tim Yeo, found fame in 2007 with his unauthorised portrait of US President George W Bush, created using cuttings of pornographic magazines.

In 2008, his portrait of Tony Blair - the former premier's first official portrait, showed an older and wearier statesman wearing a red poppy on his lapel representing his leadership role during the Iraq war.

At the time, Yeo said: "Of all the things that people remember him for, the war in Iraq is going to be one of the main things that people discuss."

His other portraits include fellow artist Grayson Perry, chat show host Michael Parkinson and actress Nicole Kidman.

Source: BBC

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