The piece, titled "Saint or Sinner" by British artist Mason Storm, portrays the US president in vivid detail — eyes closed, face lifeless, and body stretched across a padded white cross.
Its resemblance to both crucifixion and lethal injection amplifies the artist’s pointed critique of Trump’s moral bankruptcy and inflated sense of persecution.
The sculpture went on display in Basel on Saturday, after an earlier exhibition in Vienna.
“It is scary realistic,” said Konrad Breznik, owner of the Gleis 4 gallery.
“When we installed it, you could see every wrinkle. The skin is so realistic, it’s really scary,” he told AFP.
Originally planned for display at Basel’s central train station, the gallery relocated the piece to a quieter pedestrian zone, the Basler Kunstmeile.
Even there, more than 3,000 people passed by the window on Monday alone.
Most onlookers reacted with amusement or reflection rather than outrage.
“It’s a sign that we have democracy,” said Marit, a Norwegian resident of Basel.
“We are allowed to show things like this. I don’t think it could be shown in the US”
Breznik added that Trump himself might perversely enjoy the portrayal.
“I do absolutely think that Mr. Trump might see himself very well in the role of a modern Jesus,” he said.
“I’m pretty sure he is very much convinced that he is doing the right thing.”
Storm, the anonymous London-based artist known for his biting, hyper-realistic street-art style, routinely targets hypocrisy and political ego.
He hides his face behind masks and balaclavas, presenting himself as “the artist people love to love and love to hate.”
The sculpture has already been sold to a prominent European collector, whose identity remains undisclosed.