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| Leroy Neiman, 16.5" X 20.75" (visible image), 23.5" X 27.5" (framed), Acrylic on Paper |
Leroy Neiman was born in St. Paul,
Minnesota on June 8 1921 and died on June 20, 2012. He spent the majority of his adult life
living in New York.
Just after World War II Neiman’s
talent as a painter was recognized and he began painting sets for the Red
Cross. For a brief time, he studied at
the St. Paul School of Art and then attended the Art Institute of Chicago on
the G.I. bill. In 1954, the artist began
his long freelance career as an illustrator for Playboy Magazine, and beginning
in 1960 he began traveling and painting sporting events throughout the world.
These included The Kentucky Derby, The Masters, The Ryder Cup, The World Equestrian
Games, and Wimbledon. On many occasions he also created paintings
of other types of athletes such as the boxer Muhammad Ali and basketball
players such as Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, George McGinnis, Wilt Chamberlain, and
Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Since his death, there have been few Neiman original
works offered at auction. Tomorrow, 2 original works will be offered at Heritage Auctions. Each of these works is an original acrylic on paper depicting basketball players. Each is estimated to bring in excess of $10,000.00.
