Check out this video of artist Jean-Pierre Blanchard painting a portrait of tennis pro Roger Federer in just four minutes! (Bonus points if you can name the song playing in the background…)

Blanchard performed the live speed painting as part of the presentation of the SVC Entrepreneur Award in Zurich, Switzerland. An auction followed  in support of the Roger Federer Foundation’s work with children in Africa. Ernst & Young lawyer Thomas Stauber won the piece for the “Big 4″ accounting firm, paying about US$19,500.

Another artist specializes in speed painting, Renald Zapata, completes a wonderful portrait of Bob Marley below.

Some might question paying $19,500 for four minutes’ work. I couldn’t find a source, but an old story about Picasso sums this up best:

Picasso was sitting at a table outside a Paris cafe. A woman came up to him and asked him to draw something for her on a napkin. He complied, doodling as only he could. After he quickly finished he requested the French equivalent  of $5,000. Agast the woman said — “but it only took you 2 minutes!” Smiling, the great man replied — “no Madam, it took me my whole life.”

Please “Like” and share with friends!

- Jen