Italian artist Dario Gambarin has created the world’s largest portrait of Pablo Picasso in a field in Verona, Italy, using a tractor. The portrait is a recreation of a 1907 self-portrait of Picasso and marks the 50th anniversary of his death on April 8. Throughout his career, Picasso painted at least 10 self-portraits, with his earliest being in 1896 when he was just 15 years old.
The 1907 self-portrait is considered one of his most important works because it chronicles his transition from Primitivism to Cubism, two of his most famous artistic styles. In the portrait, Picasso used angular, geometric shapes to depict himself, from his almond-shaped eyes to his elongated triangular nose and the patterning on his jacket. He also employed thicker, darker outlines on his face and clothing to create dramatic contrasts.
Despite his unusual choice of canvas, a stretch of wasteland in Castagnaro, about 80 kilometers west of Venice, Gambarin has managed to recreate the defining elements of the work. This is not the first time Gambarin has used his tractor to create unusual artwork. He has also created portraits of Nelson Mandela, Leonardo Da Vinci, Dante, and various US presidents on the earth.
Gambarin is a multidisciplinary artist who has also created land-art pieces focusing on environmental issues such as Cop26 Glasgow and radioactivity. He used his art to send a message about the worst drought in Italy in 70 years last year. He carved out a huge drop of water with a globe contained within it and the words “save water” flanked it in enormous letters.
Dario Gambarin believes that art is an adventure of the spirit, thought, and creative imagination, and only those who have the courage to face this journey with free will and take the risk of their integrity can explore these multifaceted realities.