The Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers on Friday evening announced plans to remove a painting portraying police officers as pigs. The artwork, currently on display in a tunnel between the U.S. Capitol and Cannon House Office Building will be taken down on Tuesday, before President-elect Trump's inauguration three days later.

The painting has been on display since last June after Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., hung it as a gift from his constituent. However, the image has caused controversy between lawmakers because of its political message. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., a former sheriff, asked Ayers to remove the image.

"This painting hung in clear defiance to those rules and was a slap in the face to the countless men and women who put their lives on the line everyday on behalf of our safety and freedom," Reichert wrote in a letter to Ayers. "Artwork must adhere to the policy of the House Office Building Commission. In accordance with this policy, exhibits depicting subjects of contemporary political controversy or a sensationalistic or gruesome nature are not allowed. It is necessary that all artwork be reviewed by the panel chaired by the Architect of the Capitol and any portion not in consonance with the Commission's policy will be omitted from the exhibit."

Ayers concluded the painting was in violation of the commission's rules and ordered it removed following the federal holiday on Monday.

The painting had initially been "flagged" during a competition last year, but at the time Ayers had allowed it to stay up.