Artist: Leroy Neiman
Title: Joe Montana 49ers Super Bowl 1989
Medium: Pastel Marker on Paper
Paper size: 22" x 15"
Frame size: 29.5" x 22.5"
Year: 1989
Inscription: Titled, dated, and signed
Condition: Very good condition with no damage
Documentation: Includes a gallery certificate of authenticity
Widely considered the most famous sports artist of all time, LeRoy Neiman captured many of the most iconic moments in twentieth-century sports, including the 1989 SuperBowl matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Francisco 49ers. The championship game was a close matchup ultimately decided by a touchdown pass from Joe Montana to John Taylor with 34 seconds left.
Nieman underscores "Joe Montana" with a keen understanding of athletics, capturing the nuanced stance of the quarterback and embuing the scene with a dramatic sense of movement. The bright saturated colors applied in direction swaths highlight the artist's signature semi-abstracted style with nods to both realism and expressionism.
"Joe Montana" is dated, titled, and signed by LeRoy Neiman and includes a gallery certificate of authenticity.
About LeRoy Neiman
Leroy Neiman is considered the most famous American leisure artist of all time. His unique and easily identifiable technique coupled with his easy to relate to subject matter has made him a success with both art critics and art collectors. Born and raised in Minnesota, Leroy Neiman developed an affinity for art at an early age. He put his art career on hold to serve in World War II but immediately picked up where he left off upon his return when he enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago. After graduation, he spent 10 years teaching for the same program. While in Chicago, he met and befriended Hugh Heffner and began his career as a regular illustrator for Heffner’s Playboy magazine in 1956. His art would appear in the Party Jokes section and his famous Femlin character gained him public attention for his art for the first time. He would also use Playboy as a vehicle to showcase his travels and adventures as his career continues to progress. His career with playboy would last for over 50 years. Neiman’s career really began taking off in 1960. He traveled the world to paint scenery and capture sporting events. Leroy Neiman is considered by many to be the most famous sports artist of all time. During his career, he would famously capture Formula One races, the Ryder Cup and Masters Golf Tournaments, Boxing events, the Kentucky Derby, Wimbledon, the World Cup, the Olympics, and many others. These images became associated with the events they were painted for and further elevated the artist’s fame. During the same time, Neiman also captured street scenes and global landmarks while traveling. His Arc de Triomphe and Brooklyn Bridge are some of his most iconic.
The subject of Neiman paintings expanded to include scenery, figure paintings, animals and celebrities. He also painted a number of leisure scenes which remain some of his most famous today. He had a special love of painting jazz musicians, night life, and casino scenes. Leroy Neiman is also famous for his flamboyant personality. His ability paint himself as a unique and eccentric personality has been polarizing, but has also worked well to market the artist. His personality has without question propelled his celebrity status to a higher level and in doing brought his art along with it. During his career, he was friends with many celebrities. He passed away at the age of 91 on June 20, 2012 in New York City. His art remains extremely popular.
The artwork of Leroy Neiman is iconic for many reasons. The artist’s one of a kind technique and semi-abstracted style has branded his work as unique to the artist. His use of brushstrokes and vibrant color is able to capture movement and emphasize the qualities of the sports and leisure activities he captured in his art. His subject matter is also easy to relate to and has propelled its popularity among art collectors. All of this combined with Neiman’s outgoing and flamboyant personality created a very successful and popular modern artist who’s art will live on well beyond the artist’s years.
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