This painting is a portrait of Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013), who was a lawyer, political leader, philanthropist, and anti-apartheid revolutionary. After his law studies in 1943 – 1949, he became an activist and campaigned for the removal of anti-apartheid government structures that reduced the Human Rights for most of the country’s population. He was imprisoned for 27 years (1962 – 1990) and was released in 1990 due to international pressure and fears of internal civil war. He was the first black head of state to serve as the President of South Africa from 1991 to 1997. He advocated democracy and social justice and received many awards and accolades, including the Nobel Peace Prize. He is still highly regarded as strong figure for Human Rights and is often referred to as the “Father of the Nation” for South Africa.  

The artist, Jan Beekman, was born in Brussels in 1929 and studied painting at the Brussels Academy for Fine Arts. He is highly regarded for his work with nature and his ability to paint beautiful rhythms in nature. He is quoted as saying, “The central subject of my work is the natural world and its relationship to the human condition.”  Perhaps that is why he chose to paint Nelson Mandela, knowing the human condition change this world icon achieved for himself and his fellow citizens.

This gift of a painting was given by the Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations, Johan Verbeke, to the United Nations and the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Asha-Rose Migiro, accepted it. The artist, Jan Beekman, was in attendance.