Charity Rejects Proceeds From Nude Bruni Snap.

16-04-2008 16:01

Charity Rejects Proceeds From Nude Bruni Snap....

A charity has refused to accept money raised from the sale of a nude photograph of Carla Bruni, French president Nicolas Sarkozy's wife - slamming the auction as "inappropriate".The image sold for $91,000 (£45,500) at New York auction house Christie's earlier this month (Apr08) and the proceeds were donated to Swiss medic Dr.Beat Richner - who runs a group of children's hospitals in Cambodia.

But Richner has rejected the money, insisting that Cambodians disapprove of "exploiting female flesh for money".He says, "My decision was taken out of respect for our patients and their mothers. In Cambodia, the use of nudity is not understood in the way it is in the West".The black and white print, taken in 1993 by Swiss photographer Michael Comte, shows France's First Lady completely naked with nothing but her cupped hands protecting her modesty.