Complex sentence: The painting caused uproar in the area as it was seen as a sign from God; it is said that when the townsfolk discovered it was MacKinnon, and not God, he was exiled from the town indefinitely.
Split into simpler sentences: The painting caused uproar in the area as it was seen as a sign from God. It is often said when the townsfolk discovered it was MacKinnon, and not God, he was exiled from the town indefinitely.