Category: Scotland;
Factual & Arts TV
Date: 08.06.2005
Printable version
Sunday 28 August 2005,
Mound Precinct, Edinburgh
The world's most famous painting is about to get even
bigger.
Edinburgh will play host to a huge free art event when,
on Sunday 28 August, Rolf Harris leads hundreds of
artists in an attempt to recreate the Mona Lisa on a giant nine metre
by six metre canvas.
The BBC, the National Galleries of Scotland, and the
City of Edinburgh Council have teamed up for the event, which will be
broadcast live on BBC ONE on August Bank Holiday Sunday.
As artists from all over the UK join forces to create
their version of Da Vinci's masterpiece, and the Mound Precinct becomes
awash with colour, the crucial question will be whether Rolf and his
team can recreate that enigmatic smile in less than one day.
For Rolf, who has just been commissioned to paint Her
Majesty the Queen to mark her 80th birthday, the painting provides an
exciting opportunity to work with some of Scotland's artists, and create
an event that visitors to the Edinburgh Festival can join in with.
Rolf says: "This time last year, I faced one of my greatest
challenges when I teamed up with hundreds of artists to recreate Constable's
The Haywain on a giant scale in Trafalgar Square, London.
"Now, I'm getting ready to team up once again with
yet another group of art enthusiasts from all walks of life, to face
one of the world's most famous paintings - the Mona Lisa.
"Some historians believe the painting took Leonardo
Da Vinci years to complete; now we've just got one day to recreate that
enigmatic smile. I can't wait and I'm glad that Scotland will be joining
us for an exciting day of art activities."
Whilst Edinburgh welcomes some of the world's most gifted
performers and artists for the annual Edinburgh Festival, 120 artists
will pick up their paintbrushes and depict an individual section of
the giant canvas.
Artists of different ages and from different backgrounds
will contribute to the modern day Mona Lisa. A diverse range of styles
is guaranteed as amateur painters and professional artists help Rolf
piece together the now legendary subject.
They'll be aided by a few famous faces, adding their
own unique contribution to the portrait.
BBC ONE viewers will be able to follow the progress
of the painting, and see whether the artists do complete their version
of the Mona Lisa in time during a live programme,
Rolf on Art - The Big
Event, which launches a new series of Rolf on Art focussing
on the Great Masters.
For those who are inspired by Rolf to explore their
artistic talents, there will be a whole range of activities hosted by
the BBC and the National Galleries of Scotland.
Visitors to the National Gallery of Scotland can view
a small selection of Renaissance works from the Scottish National Collections,
including a double-sided drawing by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Outside the gallery, in Princes Street Gardens, performance
artists from the Festival Fringe will entertain the crowds and encourage
everyone to attempt some kind of artistic expression - whether it's
adding their mark to the giant Mona Lisa, or creating their own piece
of art at one of the many workshops.
Sir Timothy Clifford, Director General of the National
Galleries of Scotland, said: "The National Galleries of Scotland are
thrilled to be working with Rolf Harris and the BBC on Rolf on Art -
The Big Event.
"There is no artist more interesting than Leonardo
Da Vinci, who was arguably the greatest genius that ever lived."
The Right Hon Lesley Hinds, Lord Provost of Edinburgh,
said: "Recreating one of the world's most famous faces in one day is
a fantastic challenge, but if any one city can rise to it then Edinburgh
can!
"With Rolf Harris at the helm, and a great mix
of artists taking part, I'm sure visitors to the festival will be delighted
to help piece together this masterpiece on the mound".
Notes to Editors
Around 150 artists joined Rolf Harris in 2004 to recreate Constable's
The Haywain on a canvas the size of a double-decker bus - an event watched
by over five million television viewers.
Rolf on Art has attracted more than four million viewers to each programme
since the first series launched in 2001, with up to seven million viewers
watching the first two series (there have now been four series).
In a survey conducted after the second series, half of Rolf on Art viewers
claimed that they did not usually watch programmes about art and 40
per cent of viewers agreed that watching the series made them more likely
to try other art programmes in the future.
Additional information on the BBC's arts programming can be found by
visiting bbc.co.uk/arts
Information on the collections of the National Galleries of Scotland
can be found at www.nationalgalleries.org.
