Danish artist Jens Haaning was expected to physically incorporate the banknotes totalling 500,000 kroner (nearly €70,000 or £60,000) into two artworks for the Kunsten Museum in Aalborg.

He instead kept the cash and gave the museum two blank canvasses, which it went on to exhibit – while asking for the cash to be returned, which he refused.

A court in Copenhagen has now ordered Mr Haaning to pay back 492,549 kroner, representing the original sum minus an artist’s fee and the cost of mounting the canvasses.

Mr Haaning is still considering whether to appeal the ruling, Danish newspaper DR reports.