The world’s largest canvas painting, made with 6,300 litres of paint has sold at a Dubai auction for almost $62 million (Rs 450 crore), becoming one of the most expensive artworks ever auctioned. The artwork is titled ‘The Journey of Humanity’. It is equivalent to the size of four NBA-regulation basketball courts.
The massive artwork was created by British artist Sacha Jafri as a means to raise money for children affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to reports. The painting was created at a hotel in Dubai during the pandemic. While he initially expected to raise $30 million by auctioning the painting in parts, it fetched $62 million when a French national, named Andre Abdoune living in Dubai, bought all the 70 parts. The world’s largest canvas painting, it’s created across an area of 1,800 square feet. Sacha Jafri used more than 1,000 brushes, 1400 gallons of paint and inspiration from children’s paintings from over 140 countries. Following the record sale, Guinness World Records the artwork to be the ‘Largest Art Canvas’.
The organisers of the auction said in a statement that the artwork fetched double the amount targeted, with the money going to charities for children. Jafri’s humanity-inspired initiative has earned praise. The proceeds from the sale will be donated to UNICEF, UNESCO, The Global Gift Foundation, and Dubai Cares.
