When Two Legends Meet
LeRoy Neiman Celebrates ‘Lady Liberty’
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Self Portrait, LeRoy Neiman
n the commemoration of the 122nd anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, LeRoy Neiman and Knoedler Publishing have released Portrait of Liberty, a limited edition serigraph. Mr. Neiman has become one of the world’s most popular artists for his portraits of sports stars and show business personalities in brilliantly colored, semi-abstract paintings. Some Portrait of Liberty, LeRoy Neiman, Serigraph, 38 x 28 ½ inches, Edition of 450 extraordinarily famous ones were produced live during A beacon of freedom proclaiming to the world, ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ the action of internationally televised Olympic games and ABC’s culturally iconoclastic Wide World of Sports. His portraits of Muhammad Ali, Frank Sinatra, the racehorse Secretariat and other immortals are the stuff of a storied life. Yet, Mr. Neiman has never forsaken his roots as a painter and he remains to this day a dedicated, well-trained student of fine art. Mr. Neiman is also a great art historian who continues to pay homage to precursors — from Alice Neel to the Ashcan School — who have helped shape his keen journalist’s eye for the sociological and artistic significance embodied in Neel’s expressively disturbing portraits and the sporting and leisure work of George Bellows, notably Firpo and Dempsey. Mr. Neiman brought the latter’s paintings to light when he hosted a lecture in late 2008 at the New York Historical Society, aptly entitled Life’s Pleasures: The Ashcan Artists’ Brush With Leisure, 1895-1925. Mr. Neiman, who was born in 1921, was a sparklingly-dressed, genial host and moderator who stayed until every last autograph seeker was satisfied. To commemorate Mr. Neiman’s newest silk-screen print, the artist, Hammer Galleries and Knoedler Publishing are gifting a framed Portrait of Liberty to The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to preserving and enhancing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island for future generations. “Mr. Neiman’s stunning interpretation of Lady Liberty is a brilliant gift on the occasion of her birthday,” said Stephen A. Briganti, President and CEO of the Foundation. “We are delighted to accept this beautiful portrait of America’s most beloved icon as an outstanding addition to our collection. Mr. Neiman’s dynamic brush strokes and powerful color palette encapsulate the essence of Liberty. What Emma Lazarus emblazoned in words on the pedestal of the great statue, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ — the enduring hopes and dreams that universally proclaim freedom — all this are symbolized in LeRoy Neiman’s riveting image.” Dedicated on October 28, 1886 the statue was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. The idea was conceived in 1865 at a dinner party near Versailles, France. The honored guest was the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi who was then commissioned to design a sculpture in time for the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. originated in 1982 to raise funds for and oversee the historic restorations of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, working in partnership with the National Park Service/U.S. Department of the Interior. Its endowment has funded over 200 projects at the islands. For more information visit www.LeRoyNeiman.com 8 • Fine Art Magazine • Spring 2009