A VICTORIAN masterpiece that shows young, naked water nymphs seducing a man has been removed by an art gallery after concerns about its raunchy content.

Visitors hoping to see the pre-Raphaelite painting Hylas And The Nymphs will find a blank space, with a notice saying it’s hoped the absence will “prompt conversations” instead.

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The painting of a scene from Greek mythology, by John William Waterhouse in 1896, had hung in Manchester Art Gallery until last Friday – but critics say his work glorifies paedophilia and is akin to porn.

The gallery’s curator of contemporary art, Clare Gannaway, said recent feminist movements such as the Time’s Up and # MeToo campaigns – which demands an end to women being harassed and sexually objectified – had influenced the gallery’s decision.

She insisted it was not “about denying the existence of particular artworks” but said curators must think about how to interpret and display controversial historical works.

She added: “For me personally, there is a sense of embarrassment that we haven’t dealt with it sooner.”