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Sugar Ray Leonard Autograph - Limited Edition
A Rare Stephen Holland Limited Edition Lithograph
signed by the artist and Sugar Ray Leonard
Size: 47" x 26" Limited Edition
of 500
Sugar Ray Leonard
SOLD
Although Stephen Holland has painted hundreds
of sports paintings for commissions, lithographs, serigraphs,
Giclee mid commercial ventures, he is best known for his
magnificent portrait of to World's Greatest Athlete “Muhammad
Ali”. Originally painted for the Silver Anniversary
of the Victor Awards (honoring Ali as “Athlete of
the Century”), the painting was soon selected by Ali's
wife as the image to represent him for his 50th birthday
party. Giant posters of the painting flanked the landmark
Wiltern Theatre in Hollywood, as thousands attended All's
televised tribute. A limited edition, fine art lithograph
has been issued, each numbered and signed by Muhammed Ali
and Stephen Holland.
What is it that first attracted Holland
to painting sports art? As a young painter, unable to afford
live models, he drew from boxing magazines. There he saw
the male form in all its power and glory, expressed as contemporary
gladiator. Reading the articles in the magazines conveyed
to him the determination and hard work that any athlete
must have to be a winner. Holland found it an inspiration
to himself as an sports artist to put as much discipline,
devotion and determination into his own work, in order to
express what both he and the athlete experience.
None of this came easy for Holland. As a
child he was handicapped, and had to watch his family and
friends play sports, while the steel brace he wore on his
leg even prevented him from attending normal school. But
handicaps often heighten one's sensitivity and talents may
develop elsewhere. So Stephan Holland sat and sketched his
friends. Though his mother used to say he began drawing
as soon as he could hold a pencil, his talent actually blossomed
while attending a special high school that devoted half
of every day to art studies. Following that he attended
the Art Students League. The School of Visual Arts, and
Pratt Institute, all in New York City.
His talent and contribution to the field of
art and sports received national recognition when the American
Sport Art Museum and Archives awarded him the honor of 1993
Sports Artist of the Year.
Today Stephen Holland lives with his wife
J'Nelle in their home/studio in Southern California. When
not at various sports arenas, he is often found enjoying
his friendship with foremost sports photographer, Robert
Riger (from whose photos many of Holland's paintings are
taken). Currently he is working diligently to produce a
series of celebrity portraits to be printed as limited edition
serigraphs.
