By Florencia Pessarini
La Plata, Argentina (EFE).– Argentine street artist Martín Ron completed a 164-foot mural of Pope Francis in La Plata, marking the final piece in his trilogy honoring the country’s most beloved figures. Commissioned by local authorities, the hyperrealist artwork will be officially unveiled on Jul. 26 in the city’s historic center.
After immortalizing football legends Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, Martín Ron turns to another Argentine icon: Pope Francis.
The mural, painted over 20 days, rises 164 feet high and is just 5 feet wide, covering the side of a building near La Plata’s cathedral.
“We wanted a posthumous tribute with a connection to the sky,” Ron told EFE. “That’s why we chose this well-known image of Francis smiling, raising his arm alongside a dove, a symbol of peace and spirituality.”
The moment depicted dates back to 2013, shortly after Jorge Bergoglio became pope.
A dover offered by pilgrims refused to leave his hand, a symbolic gesture that now lives on in Ron’s monumental work.
According to local officials, this is the largest mural ever dedicated to the first Argentine pontiff.
Painting peace at a massive scale
The narrow, vertical wall showed an unique technical challenge.
Ron, 44, who led a team of five, selected the image for its dynamic creativity.
“It includes a long ribbon, a cross, an arm that extends and connects with the sky; it solved everything.”
Known for his hyperrealist style, which he describes as “gigantography,” Ron aims to create murals that “hit like giant photographs.”
This approach requires meticulous planning, top-tier craftsmanship, and resilience in the face of wind, heat, and a “little fear of heights,” he joked.
The project was spearheaded by La Plata’s municipal government and the local archdiocese, which specifically called on Ron for his international reputation.
“People were waiting for a piece from me,” the artist said.
Global icons, local identity
Ron is Argentina’s most renowned muralist, with large-scale works in cities such as London, Tallinn, Miami, Penang, Tenerife, and Bremen.
His signature is the representation of cultural and national icons that resonate deeply with the public.
“These figures inspire immense gratitude because people feel they belong to them. They’re part of their identity,” he said.
Maradona’s mural, the world’s largest, was completed in 2022 in Buenos Aires.
Later in 2024, he painted a 115-foot-tall Messi in the capital following Argentina’s World Cup victory in Qatar.
In all three portraits, the characters raise their arms, each with a distinct meaning: triumph, pride, and now, peace.
In 2021, Ron also painted Manuel Belgrano, a founding father of Argentina, in Rosario.
“I wanted to bring him back to the neighborhood, to make him feel like just another neighbor,” he explained.
Ron hopes the mural of Pope Francis will one day reach the Vatican’s attention.
“I haven’t had any contact yet, but maybe this is a sign,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to paint in Rome.”
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