Offensive or Art?

This picture just went completely viral online. It is one of a 16 page spread from French Vogue in which a white model was painted black.
Many people have taken offense at these pictures, similar to the one posted above and believe that a real black model should have been used instead of a white model in art.
Maybe its my ignorance (although I'm sure of that I have none) but I believe that using a white model and painting her black gives more context to the photo, and creates a purpose or statement; the model is trying to be something that she is not and that is the irony of the photo which makes it beautiful, or maybe the photo is trying to illustrate the beauty of being black. Period.

You know maybe it's the fashion world who believe that they have the power to do what they want and call it art, or maybe we, as a population are getting increasingly sensitive about race issues, where we should now, in the 21st century, 2009, be attempting, at the very least, to be comfortable with it.

I can understand this as an issue if females who weren't white were not given a chance, but there are more than a few models, certainly and naturally black, who are on runways, front covers and certainly issues of Vogue.

Vogue has run spreads where models dress up as boys, I didn't hear any backlash then - what does that say about feminism?

Like I said, maybe I'm being naive, maybe I don't understand it - but I don't think any harm was meant.