Between January 26 and February 3, 2018, the Manchester Art Gallery (MAG) removed John William Waterhouse' painting Hylas and the Nymphs. In a press release, the gallery states the reason for its action:

This gallery presents the female body as either a ‘passive decorative form’ or a ‘femme fatale’. Let’s challenge this Victorian fantasy!

The removal was filmed and is part of an exhibition by Sonia Boyce.

The painting shows the moment before Heracles' lover Hylas is abducted by the Nymphs. Neither the painting Hylas and the Water Nymphs by Henrietta Rae showing the very same scene nor The Sirens and Ulysses by William Etty were removed by the MAG.

You can find all paintings mentioned inside this blog post.