Artist fears Ritchie's wrath over Madonna nudes

Peter Howson has admitted Guy Ritchie might not approve of nude portraits he has painted of his wife Madonna.

One of the singer's favourite artists made the concession at the opening of his controversial new collection in a small Ayr gallery.

The new paintings include 10 portraits of the pop diva, some of which portray her naked.

Howson said he was disappointed he had not heard Madonna's reaction to his work, which he painted from imagination, despite sending her copies of the pictures several weeks ago.

He said: "I believe Madonna would be both flattered and pleased that I had done this."

However he said he understood how the singer's British husband, Guy Ritchie, might be "a little annoyed" by them.

"I think he'll probably come and hit me," he said. "But if he's a man of wisdom and integrity he'll be quite pleased with them, I imagine."

The new portraits are designed to show Madonna as a powerful and charismatic person as well as touch on her religious upbringing, Howson said.

The two most controversial larger works - called Death And Madonna and Madonna 2002 - are also meant to show different aspects of her life and public image, from her good and motherly side to her "dirty and evil one", the artist said.

Howson turned down substantial fees to open the hundred-picture exhibition containing the Madonna pictures in New York, Paris, Los Angeles and Italy to premier the work in the Maclaurin Art Gallery in Ayr, where he grew up.