During the late 1970's, Andy Warhol turned his attention to a new kind of celebrity - the mega sports superstar. It was then that Richard Weisman, an art collector and long-time Warhol friend, commissioned the painter to create a seres of "Ten of the World's Greatest Athletes." Warhol followed Muhammed Ali to training camp in Deer Park, Pennsylvania, to capture the boxer in prime form and found Jack Nicklaus in Columbus, Ohio. Chris Evert was photographed just before she won the U.S. Open Tournament at Forest Hills.

In Warhol's signature pop art style, each 40" square portrait was created from one of the many Polaroids that were taken during the photo shoot with each athlete. The Polaroids were used to create the screens for the acrylic canvas with gestural hand painting added at the end. Muhammed Ali, Chris Evert, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Pele, Jack Nicklaus, Rod Gilbert, O.J. Simpson, Tom Seaver, Dorothy Hamill and Willie Shoemaker were all photographed symbolically with the equipment of their sport. This complete set of ten original portraits, signed by the artist, is the only set ever to be put up for sale.
$3,000,000.

More >>> The 2002 Christmas Book; $7,500. Action Figures; Warhol Paintings; Catalog History; His and Her Gifts

Images Courtesy of Neiman Marcus