A female artist in Naples, Italy yesterday confirmed on her personal Facebook page that she was the one who drew the promotional painting that is being widely shared online, showing the friendship between Italy and China in the fight against Covid.
She thanked everyone for loving the painting and supporting Italy.
The painting was painted by Aurora Cantone.
The reason is because on March 16, the Chinese Embassy in Italy posted an article on its social network account with the content: `You may have forgotten, but we will always remember. Now we will help
However, Vietnamese Internet users quickly discovered that the Chinese map picture had a yellow `cow tongue line` image.
Cantone affirmed that she only painted a picture of doctors from two countries carrying a map of Italy, while the picture of a map of China with a `cow tongue line` was by a male artist whom she did not know.
`He took my illustration and edited it to represent China, but I knew nothing about this,` Cantone said.
Cantone also said that the Italian map picture had her signature, but the Chinese map picture did not.
`I have no intention of causing trouble and I don’t want to get involved in politics,` she said.
Female painter Aurora Cantone.
Cantone said she appreciates the friendship between Italy and China, and sent her thanks to all the medical staff of the two countries who are working together to fight Covid-19 in Italy.
Faced with backlash from Vietnamese Internet users, on the afternoon of March 17, the Facebook account of the Chinese Embassy in Italy was closed.
Covid-19 has appeared in 173 countries and territories around the world.
