LOT Universallive  /  Universal Special Estate Collectibles Auction  / 

880542

Muhammad Ali Signed Boxing LE Sports Serigraph L Neiman

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:5,600.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 9,000.00 USD
Muhammad Ali Signed Boxing LE Sports Serigraph L Neiman
In this special print, the undisputed champion of the art of sports pays homage to Muhammad Ali, frequently cited as the one of the most widely-recognized people throughout the world, admired and respected for his accomplishments in the boxing ring and beyond. Throughout his long career, LeRoy Neiman has painted dozens of sports legends including Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and even Secretariat. In the featured serigraph the artist not only adds Muhammad Ali to this illustrious list, but places him first with the designation, Athlete of the Century. The serigraph derives from the artist's recent larger-than-life oil painting of Ali, based on sketches made in 1964. This was the transition period when then Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali. It was also the time of Ali's two historic fights with Sonny Liston in which he first took the heavyweight championship from Liston, and then defended his title in a decisive first-round knock out. This is Ali as he looked at the age of 22, a new champion just coming into his prime. The print bursts with color and vitality and brings to life the Ali who, as was frequently said, floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. Neiman recalls that his association with Muhammad Ali dates back to 1962. The artist met the fighter in the dressing room in the St. Nicholas Arena in New York City, before Clay defeated Billy Daniels. Neiman sketched the young heavyweight sitting on the rubbing table. Clay immediately showed his own interest in art by asking to make a drawing of himself at the bottom of Neiman's drawing. This was the beginning of a long relationship between the artist and the prize fighter. The artist frequently sketched and painted the athlete in training and at his major bouts around the world, constantly sketching, drawing and painting. Ali often took up the brush himself, and did a number of prediction drawings for Neiman before big fights. Neiman says, All of my experiences and observations of Ali are summed up in this portrait. This painting is for me the quintessential, colorful, confident Ali. It shows his fighting face, with that theatrical flair, that is so familiar to the world and epitomizes a career that extended to a public far beyond the boxing ring. He was fast with his rhetoric and swift with his fists, and the intent of the painting and print is to emphasize his boundless energy. With its combination of a great artist and a great athlete, this serigraph is destined to be one of the artist's most significant works. Muhammad Ali - Athlete of the Century will be treasured by Neiman collectors and everyone who admires champions.Athlete of the Century is hand-signed by Internationally Recognized Artist, LeRoy Neiman. This original serigraph measures 42 x 28 inches unframed and is in excellent condition. Muhammad Ali's signature does not appear on the image shown because the serigraph was photographed prior to him signing it. The edition number will be confirmed at point of sale. A serially numbered, destructible eggshell tamper-proof seal is affixed to the item and it is accompanied by a tamper-proof, forge-proof, copy-proof Certificate of Authenticity from Elaine's Fine Art. The COA also has a matching serially numbered seal affixed to it. Any tampering with the seals causes the seal to fragment, making it impossible to reuse, further insuring the authenticity of the item. The purchaser is also recorded as the registered owner. If the item is a gift, please indicate the name, street address, city, state and zip code of the recipient, before making payment, so that the COA can be registered to them.Copyright LeRoy Neiman, Inc. 2001. All reproduction rights reserved. This serigraph is protected by copyright laws. Over the past 27 years, Elaine's Fine Art (located on Manhattan's Upper East Side - just 5 blocks from Sotheby's International Art Auction House) has developed an outstanding reputation and following as a leading private dealer of fine art and sports art and memorabilia. During the time period that Sotheby's held auctions on the Internet, on Sothebys.com, and up until they formally ended their specialty site on May 1, 2003, we enjoyed great success as a Licensed Sothebys.com Associate Dealer. Licensed Sothebys.com Associate Dealers were required to be specialists in the fields in which they offered property and to provide a Guarantee of the Authenticity and Condition of the property they sold. All art and memorabilia that we offer is fully documented. Ethics are important to us, and we take great pride in representing the highest level of integrity and expertise in the International Art World. We specialize in blue-chip artists from Picasso to Warhol. We offer a wide variety of original paintings, watercolors, drawings, sculptures and limited edition prints. For the sports connoisseur, we also offer a wide variety of original paintings, watercolors, drawings, sculptures, limited edition prints and sports memorabilia (all major sports). Many of our sports items are personally hand-signed by your favorite sports personalities.
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