
Lot 22
Muhammad Ali/Andy Warhol
5 October 2021, 13:00 EDT
New YorkSold for US$1,275 inc. premium
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Muhammad Ali/Andy Warhol
A rare color lithographic print Muhammad Ali by Andy Warhol, with ©1978 Andy Warhol Enterprises lower right, framed
Warhol photographed Muhammad Ali in 1977 as part of his 'Athletes' series. The project was initiated by art collector and sports enthusiast, Richard Weisman, and also featured the footballer, Pelé and golfer, Jack Nicklaus. Warhol was not wholly familiar with stars of the sports arena but, characteristic of his obsession with fame, he recalled: "I really got to love the athletes because they are the really big stars". Ali was not an easy subject but Warhol managed to capture a powerful shot with the boxer's fists poised, ready to punch. In the screenprint reproduced here, prior to printing the image Warhol worked into the surface with paint to create the impression of movement. Ali's fixed stare mimics the concentration required during a fight.
Provenance: From the Collection of Rodney Hilton Brown, formerly President of Hilton Fine Arts, Ltd., publisher of Muhammad Ali's limited edition silkscreen prints, 1978.
Print: 30 x 24 in., Frame: 40 x 33 1/2 in.
Warhol photographed Muhammad Ali in 1977 as part of his 'Athletes' series. The project was initiated by art collector and sports enthusiast, Richard Weisman, and also featured the footballer, Pelé and golfer, Jack Nicklaus. Warhol was not wholly familiar with stars of the sports arena but, characteristic of his obsession with fame, he recalled: "I really got to love the athletes because they are the really big stars". Ali was not an easy subject but Warhol managed to capture a powerful shot with the boxer's fists poised, ready to punch. In the screenprint reproduced here, prior to printing the image Warhol worked into the surface with paint to create the impression of movement. Ali's fixed stare mimics the concentration required during a fight.
Provenance: From the Collection of Rodney Hilton Brown, formerly President of Hilton Fine Arts, Ltd., publisher of Muhammad Ali's limited edition silkscreen prints, 1978.
Print: 30 x 24 in., Frame: 40 x 33 1/2 in.