In the art world, this is really big

updated 7:54 p.m. ET Aug. 11, 2006

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - It may not be the world's greatest artwork, but David Aberg's 86,000-square-foot painting is definitely the biggest.

The Swedish artist said Friday that he spent 2 1/2 years and 100 tons of paint to complete his work, "Mother Earth," inside an aircraft hangar in Angelholm, southern Sweden.

Guinness World Records in London confirmed it was the world's largest painting done by a lone artist, more than twice as big as the previous record holder.

Aberg's painting depicts a woman holding a peace sign.

"The idea was to do something for peace," Aberg said. "This is a peace painting that symbolizes the world with the woman as its symbol."

He completed the painting at the end of June, and Guinness approved the record last week.

The previous record, according to Guinness, was a 41,400-square-foot painting by Canadian artist Eric Waugh. "Hero," was unveiled in 2000 at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.

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