Boston
Kevin Slane

Singer-songwriter and Lexington native Amanda Palmer made quite a scene outside the main branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL) Thursday.

She posed nude and eight months pregnant while painted in the style of artist Damien Hirst’s statue Verity.

The performance was part of the NYPL’s early literacy program and accompanied by a book drive. The library teased Palmer’s appearance Thursday afternoon on Twitter, asking patrons to bring a book to donate.

Palmer hinted at the event earlier in the week on her website, saying it would serve as a “kind of goodbye Thing before going off to birth this baby.” She’s also scheduled to appear at the Boston Book Festival in October along with her husband, playwright Neil Gaiman.

Palmer used to busk in Harvard Square, posing as “The 8-Foot Bride,” a living statue that lived up to its name, before rocketing to fame with her cabaret rock duo, the Dresden Dolls.

While nude live statues and children’s books may seem like an unlikely combination, the event drew a large crowd, and people seemed to love Palmer’s performance.