LeRoy Neiman (American, 1921-2012), "Irish American Bar," original color serigraph, artist's proof, 1979. Signed in pencil on lower right. "A.P." (Artist's Proof) on lower left. LeRoy Neiman is beloved for his lively images of sport and leisure activities. His energetic style stands apart and is immediately recognizable, truly unique, and innovative. This piece presents a fascinating view of an Irish bar, complete with a portrait of John F. Kennedy as well as the famous racehorse "Man o' War" on the back wall. In Neiman's book entitled "Horses" (also available), this composition appears on pages 318-319 with the following statement by Neiman, "There must be a photograph of John F. Kennedy and a picture of the Harp of Erin in every bar in Ireland, and Irish saloons in the United States similarly have their sainted favorites enshrined in back of the bar. Man o' War, whose greatness has assumed mythic proportions, is one of them." Size: 38.5" W x 25.5" H (97.8 cm x 64.8 cm); 50.5" W x 38.5" H (128.3 cm x 97.8 cm) framed

Neiman continues, "If, for the habitue, the bar is the altar, the bartender is the priest and confessor, and the cash register the tabernacle, a hard-drinking betting man gains a sense of security downing his drams under the hallowed image of Man o' War./A war baby born in 1917 and nicknamed 'Big Red' because of the rich chestnut color of his coat, he was the racing sensation of the final year of World War I…"

Neiman usually presented himself in a rather vivacious manner - usually wearing white suits and sporting a grand handlebar mustache. In a video recorded toward the end of his career (https://vimeo.com/112087024), Neiman pointed to his "Irish American Bar" and declared, "This is an important painting. This painting is as favorite a painting of mine as any of them have ever been…because I started out with this bartender. Jerry Ford was the President then, and everybody said that's Jerry Ford as a bartender, so I said okay, it's Jerry Ford. But here we got Man o' War, the great racehorse, and every Irish bar has a Jack Kennedy painting or photograph in it … I just feel the labels and all that (pointing to the myriad of whiskey bottles behind the bar) - I wouldn’t paint any better than that today!" So clearly, Neiman was very proud of this composition!

Following World War II, LeRoy Neiman began exploring art in a rather humble pursuit - painting stage sets. From 1946 to 1950, under the GI Bill, he studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. For the next 10 years, Neiman taught figure drawing and fashion illustration there. In addition, Neiman sketched for fashion magazines, and in 1954, Hugh Hefner recruited him for Playboy magazine, to which he would contribute for the next 50 years. Neiman created the Femlin character for the Party Jokes page, and also created a feature entitled "Man at His Leisure," where he painted vibrant illustrations depicting his travels to exotic locations.

However, what Neiman became most famous for were his paintings of sports activities and personalities - frequently working on the sidelines of Super Bowls, boxing matches, horse races, and other sporting events. Neiman was in fact the official artist at five Olympiads. As stated on the LeRoy Neiman Foundation website, "Millions of people have watched him at work: on ABC TV coverage of the Olympics, as CBS Superbowl computer artist, and at other major competitions, televised on location with his sketchbook and drawing materials, producing split-second records and highly developed images of what he is witnessing." The passage continued with a quote from Carl J. Weinhardt excerpted from the catalogue of Neiman's 1972 Olympics sketches hosted that same year by the Indianapolis Museum of Art, "Before the camera, such reportage of history and the passing scene was one of the most important functions of painters and draftsmen of all sorts. Mr. Neiman has revived an almost lost and time-honored art form." Next, they cited a Christian Science Monitor (May 2, 1972) article in which Nick Seitz exclaimed that Neiman "has the journalistic talent, as well as the artistic ability, to convey the essence of a game or contestant with great impact, from the Kentucky Derby to Wilt Chamberlain, from the America’s Cup to Muhammad Ali, from the Super Bowl to Bobby Hull."

Provenance: private Boulder, Colorado, USA collection, acquired at The Upstairs Gallery, Long Beach, California, USA on February 7, 1980

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#136901

The original serigraph in colors is in superb condition. It is signed in pencil by the artist on lower right. "A.P." to indicate Artist's Proof is handwritten in pencil on lower left. The frame shows minor scuffs and the gallery paper on the verso has come away from the piece, showing slight tears at the edges - could easily be replaced. Wired for suspension.