JOHANNESBURG: A photographic portrait of Nelson Mandela has been bought by a private art collector in New York for $200,000, the highest price ever paid for a local portrait, organizers say.

The money will be donated to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, currently under construction in Johannesburg, and to the World Wildlife Fund.

The portrait is part of a series of 21 portraits of South African icons The portrait, by 21 Icons creator and photographer Adrian Steirn, depicts Nelson Mandela’s face reflected in a mirror.

“I wanted Madiba to hold a mirror so that we could see a man reflecting on his life.

As he reflects on his life, we reflect on his legacy and our future,” Steirn said, using Mandela’s clan name.—AP