The world’s largest oil painting by a South African artist is due to go on sale on auction in Amsterdam in October. The painting, “La Source”, has been unveiled in Franschhoek in the Western Cape.
It showcases the landscape of the Berg River up to the West Coast.
It is a product of four-and-a-half months of hard work.
This oil painting by Paarl-based artist Charles Frank has tongues wagging. Measuring 1.8 metres by 20 metres, it has been recorded as the largest of its kind in the world, after beating a record previously held by an American artist.
“La Source”, meaning the source of life, portrays the history of the Berg River and surrounding areas.
“When you look at nature, art is the ultimate master. It shows you how things work proportioned and how things fit together and how light falls in the Western Cape. We have the mountain, the sea, the Fynbos area,” says Frank.
However, it is not just about the art piece. Proceeds from its sale will benefit the less fortunate and also support conservation projects in the country.
“If you drop a coke bottle it will go all the way down the river and into the cold Bengula. It is a logistical sport science. So, we have a very close relationship with land care, with all three tiers of government and a whole lot of NGO’s. So, through the partnerships we have, we can really mobilise knowledge and that’s where this money is going to go,” says Chief Executive Officer Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve Mark Hestein.
The “La Source” has been put to dry at a facility before it is packed up and sent overseas.
