Welsh artist Elin Siân Blake was commissioned to paint an iconic sporting moment – without any photos or references – in the middle of lockdown
How do you recreate a moment perfectly, when you’ve never witnessed it? Artist Elin Siân Blake found herself asking this question after agreeing to paint what’s known as ‘the greatest try’. The rugby try, scored by Sir Gareth Edwards in the 1973 game between the Barbarians and New Zealand’s All Blacks, is thought of by many as one of history’s greatest sporting moments.
However, it was only after taking on the project that Blake realised the try had never been seen up close, except by those who were there on the day, and no photos or close-up footage of it exists.
The famous try was scored long before Elin herself was born, and despite scouring the internet it became clear that no close-up photos or footage were ever taken. With the added complication of being stuck in the first nationwide lockdown, the commission seemed nearly impossible to complete. From first sketch to polished painting, the journey took over a year – and lots of creative thinking – to finish.
Speaking about the experience, artist Elin Siân Blake said,
“There was no getting away with any lack of detail, but I didn’t have any reference photos or footage from the right angle. I knew I’d have to get models to recreate the rugby players’ poses – but with the lockdown it was impossible to get anyone. Instead, I persuaded my daughter – who was eleven at the time – to wear the jersey and pose for me. My other half was a great help too, stretching out on top of a coffee table on the lawn to get the position.
“It was the impossible commission really, but I can never say no to a challenge. I honestly thought I would find some pictures and it was only later I realised that there really weren’t any.
“Gareth [Edwards] was really my main source of information throughout the whole process. I would draw a complete sketch, show it to Gareth, take his comments on board and begin again. So, if a fist was out of place, a leg in the wrong position, I’d have to start all over. At one point, I had a call to say one leg was in the wrong place and I knew I had to fix it right then and there, or I wouldn’t remember exactly what was needed. So, I put on a pair of my other half’s shorts, stretched my leg out and tried to paint my own leg as best I could.
“I think I completed two full sketches with every blade of grass, and probably five or six more with varying levels of detail. It was unheard of for me to produce upwards of six full-detail sketches – normally I wouldn’t even produce one! But we all thought, this moment is iconic in Welsh culture and in sport – if something isn’t quite right, people will notice. It wasn’t an option to get anything wrong.
“We had to hit a really careful balance between being as accurate as possible, and also allowing a little creative license. I painted the scene so that the viewer would almost feel as though they were there, with the ball leaping out of the canvas.
“All in all, painting The Greatest Try took over a year. While I can never give a definitive timeline with something like this, the last painting of this size took me 100 hours – that was painting from a photograph. This must have taken ten times that, or possibly even more. It was an experience I’ll never forget, and I would do it all again.”
The Greatest Try painting is available as a limited edition, framed Giclée print, signed by both Elin Siân Blake and Sir Gareth Edwards, with a portion from the sale of each print going to two charities: Working Options in Education, and the Sir Gareth Edwards Cancer Charity.
