Italian Graffiti artist TVBoy has celebrated the Festival of Sant Jordi – the Catalan equivalent to Valentine's Day and World Book Day combined – with a tongue-in-cheek street painting of Lionel Messi and Barcelona club president Joan Laporta titled “The Greatest Gift”.
On 23 April, in Barcelona, it's Sant Jordi‘s day; a day where men give roses to women who in exchange buy them a book. An act of love. It's one of the most original celebrations in Catalonia and combines culture and romanticism, celebrating both World Book Day and Valentine’s Day in one fell swoop. On this day, it’s custom for couples to exchange gifts: the men receive a book and the women receive a rose, however, this has developed over time, so both men and women can receive books and roses. And renowned Italian graffiti artist has taken the opportunity to use this day to unveil his latest work, titled 'El regalo más grande' ('The biggest gift') featuring president of Futbol Club Barcelona Joan Laporta and Leo Messi.
The mural, situated in the heart of Barcelona, sees Joan Laporta and Messi in a tender embrace, with the former holding a rose and the latter, a book. Much like TVBoy’s previous work that has focused on Messi, it has been completed with tongue firmly wedged in cheek. On the dawn of a past El Classico, the artist famously unveiled a painting of Messi and Ronaldo sharing a passionate kiss, back in the days when Ronaldo still wore the white of Madrid.
Ah, l'amore...
