2025 Featured Artwork 'La Nageuse Dorée'
Composed with acrylic, oil and gold leaf, this year’s fabulous Port to Pub Featured Artwork titled ‘La Nageuse Dorée’ (‘The Golden Swimmer’) is a little bit different from usual, and that’s exactly what the artist Georges Hombert wanted to achieve.
“I see my customers lining up for coffee wearing their Rottnest swimming shirts and caps, it’s hard to know which year they competed in. I wanted an image that was distinct, different and easily recognisable as the 2025 Port to Pub.”
Georges only started painting two years ago and has been prolific ever since, with many of his paintings on display at his famous City Beach café Georges. When Ceinwen Roberts, founder of Port to Pub and loyal customer, asked Georges to create the 2025 Port to Pub artwork, he wasn’t sure at first what he wanted to do. Inspired by the Paris Olympic Games, he decided on a female swimmer as the centre piece and incorporated the values of friendship, camaraderie and motivation. A quokka of course to represent Rottnest Island, the Australian Triple Crown of which Port to Pub is one of three qualifying swims, and the immortalisation of Ceinwen’s famous words “How lucky are we” to live in such a glorious part of the world and be able to ocean swim regularly. Whilst not intentional, it’s thought the woman with the Mona Lisa smile even looks like one of the local Positive Swim Squad members.
For over 20 years, Georges has been at his café seven days a week from 4:30am each day. He says it’s a good lifestyle, working alongside his son Ben and fuelling his loyal and supportive customers with delicious coffee and food. Georges loves that his café is a community, a place to bring people together and an early morning hub of swimmers, cyclists and fitness enthusiasts.
Georges is no stranger to endurance events. He’s a passionate ultramarathon runner, having completed events around the world including in the Arctic, Sahara and Grand Canyon. Running over 160km a week is standard training for him. Whilst not a swimmer and with no plans to be in the water anytime soon, Georges is an ardent supporter of all who swim in the legendary Port to Pub event and he wishes all competitors the very best for race day.
Georges’ 2025 Port to Pub original painting will be auctioned on 13th March. If you miss out on securing this amazing piece, prints will be available for order through Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation. All funds raised from the artwork will go directly to helping Western Australia’s sick children at Perth Children’s Hospital.
by Emma Fuller
2025 Port to Pub Featured Artwork ‘La Nageuse Dorée’
Georges café in City Beach
Artist Georges Hombert
Photos by Jolyn Shephard
Visit Georges at 31 Gayton Road, Empire Village, City Beach
Georges Website | Facebook | Instagram
Order your commemorative 'La Nageuse Dorée' art print
Order your own commemorative art print of Georges Hombert’s ‘La Nageuse Dorée’ to enjoy!
All funds raised in the sale of prints go directly to PCHF’s Move to Improve programme, improving the quality of life for sick kids in Western Australia.
There are two design options, one with the ’25km in 25′ logo and one without.
- Poster with logo ‘La Nageuse Dorée’ 25km in 25 Port to Pub Commemorative Print
- Poster wihout logo ‘La Nageuse Dorée’ Port to Pub Commemorative Print
There are two sizes of poster available.
Size 1 is a little bigger than A4 (30x40cm Fine Art Print)
Mounted on foam backing with Border
$55 plus postage
Size 2 is a little bigger than A3 (40x50cm Fine Art Print)
Mounted on foam backing with Border
$99 plus postage
Postage
Parcel Post inside Australia $12 for A4 and A3
Items can be posted or collected from the gift shop.
Order your art print at the PCHF Gift Shop.
Bid on the original 'La Nageuse Dorée' in the live auction
La Nageuse Dorée
Composed with acrylic, oil, and gold leaf
1250 x 1500 cm
Bidding is live in person or on the Pickles website. Interested bidders can register on Pickles to bid ahead for the live auction. Any person who registers ahead of the auction will then also be able to do phone bidding. Questions about the artwork or bidding can be directed to [email protected].
