A painting by Rosa Branson, one of London’s foremost painters, entitled Service above Self, was unveiled today by Baroness Hayman, The Lord Speaker, in the River Room at The Houseof Lords, in front of an audience of politicians, business people and diplomats. Rosa recently completed this major commission for Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland.
The thematic painting depicts the many facets of the humanitarian work carried out by Rotary around the globe. The Family of Rotary: Rotary Clubs, Inner Wheel, Rotaract, andInteract, are all featured representing the work of more than two million members in over 200 countries.
Global campaigns such as the Polio Eradication Programme, Literacy, Health, Hunger and Water are all illustrated. Rosa discovered the work of Rotary on a trip to Sierra Leone to visit Mercy Ship’s land based operations. Rotary Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland helped to raise over £1 million for the Ophthalmic Operating Unit and the Rotary International Lounge of the new Africa Mercy ship. Other charities represented in the painting are Sight Savers, which has been supported by Rotary for more than twenty five years, Institute of Cancer Research, Impact, Wheelchair Foundation, Shelterboxes, and Rotary’s own charity The Rotary Foundation.
Aspects of Rotary’s work such as promoting world peace and understanding, disaster relief as well as a variety of youth programmes are all featured. The centre piece is Rotary’s logo – the blue and gold wheel featured with the motto Service above Self.
The large oil painting is nine feet by six feet and is the fifteenth charity painting completed by Rosa. Rosa painted the vast canvas in her Southwood Avenue studio in London to raise awareness of the inspiring humanitarian work of Rotarians.
Allan Jagger, President of Rotary International in Great Britainand Ireland said at the event "On behalf of Rotarians I would like to thank Rosa for this very generous gift of an extraordinary painting. It will help raise awareness of the work of Rotary and will also help raise funds for The Rotary Foundation."
A limited edition print of the painting has been published for sale to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation. The painting will be displayed in The Piazza of the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham from March 2008 until June 2009. In June 2009 the Rotary International 100th Convention will take place at the NEC with 25,000 delegates expected from all over the world.
Rosa has painted fourteen similar paintings for the Red Cross,the Coram Family Charity the Salvation Army and others. Rosa trained at the Slade and rapidly achieved success as an accomplished painter. The National Gallery recognised her as a gifted painter and reliable copyist, an experience she regards as immensely valuable in her progress to becoming a classical painter in the great tradition.
The beautiful paintings that crowd the studio and other parts ofher home are evidence of that. After years of painting for commissions, Rosa took up painting for charity at the suggestion of Harold Sumption, then chief fund raiser for Oxfam. Her husband, who died in 1990, had left her a generous pension, allowing her to work for charity on her own terms. Thus she pays all her own travel and living expenses as well as undertaking the paintings at no cost. Rosa has been painting for more than 58 years and continues to work seven hours a day painting in her studio. In addition she makes all the frames for her paintings.
Rosa comments "I have always loved working on a big scale and my training has enabled me to be able to paint anything. My thematic paintings for charity allow me to blend contemporary real issues with the techniques of the Renaissance painters. I feel have found this amazing world and each time I paint one charity painting it leads to another". Rosa has been described by Sotheby’s as leading a new wave of super realists.
A limited number of prints are available – please download the order form.
19/03/08
