Image copyright AP

Protesters have demonstrated outside a Boston art gallery that is showing work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, complaining that he "sucks at painting".

The group held placards bearing slogans like "God hates Renoir" and "Aesthetic terrorism" at the Museum of Fine Arts.

The protest was organised by the "Renoir Sucks At Painting movement", who say the French impressionist's work does not deserve to be on show.

They claim it will be "the first of many anti-Renoir direct actions".

In a statement on Instagram, the group said: "The MFA's decision to hang Renoir paintings, considering the fact the museum has masterpieces by actually talented artist [sic] in storage, is a curatorial failing, and amounts to an act of Aesthetic Terrorism."

'Deformed pink fuzzy women'

The Associated Press reported that the museum would not comment and that the demonstrators acknowledged they were being ironic.

The Boston Globe reported that they chanted: "Put some fingers on those hands! Give us work by Paul Gauguin!" and "Other art is worth your while! Renoir paints a steaming pile!"

The protest is being led by Harvard stem cell scientist Dr Ben Ewen-Campen, who wrote: "Seeing Renoirs in the MFA makes me sad.

"All the other art in the museum is great - Manet, Van Gogh, Singer Sargent, they're great! But then we get exposed to Renoir's deformed pink fuzzy women and scary looking babies. It really detracts from the overall experience."