THE Ulster Museum has received six complaints about a painting that appears to show a number of Orangemen wearing Ku Klux Klan (KKK) costumes.
The picture, by late Belfast artist Joseph McWilliams became mired in controversy after the Orange Order complained it was a "deliberate demonisation" of its cultural heritage.
The 7ft oil canvas entitled 'Christian Flautists Outside St Patrick's', was the last major work by the renowned Belfast artist before his death last month.
The painting depicts loyalist bandsmen marching in circles outside St Patrick's Church in the city in 2012.
Following the outcry, a warning notice was placed beside the artwork, which is being shown as part of the Royal Ulster Academy's annual exhibition.
Royal Ulster Academy president Dr Denise Ferran said it was "an obscure interpretation of a tiny detail".
The sign, placed at the entrance to the exhibition on the museum's fifth floor, reads: 'Visitors may find some images in this exhibition thought-provoking, controversial and potentially offensive'.
The Royal Ulster Academy exhibition has been running at the Ulster Museum since October 16, with more than 35,000 people visiting the facility since then and around 4,000 over the weekend alone.
The painting has already been purchased by a private collector, but will hang in the museum until the exhibition concludes.
The KKK is a racist society based mainly in the southern states of the US which opposed desegregation laws and civil rights for African Americans.
Members are infamous for their white robes with tall hoods hiding their faces.
