Neiman paints eight in one, and “signs” both sides
LeRoy Neiman couldn’t attend Tuesday’s unveiling of his official painting for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games so he sent his “electrons,” as one speaker put it.
He sent a short video message that began: “I’m LeRoy Neiman and I’m a New York painter.”
That’s like saying “I’m Barack Obama and I’m an Illinois politician.”
At 87, Neiman is a renowned artist who has commemorated every sports event from the Olympics to the Superbowl, the Kentucky Derby, the Breeders’ Cup, the 2008 Ryder Cup and now the World Equestrian Games.
The WEG painting was a challenge in a couple of ways, said Neiman’s agent, Ben Isaacs, CEO of Cobalt Artworks in Louisville.
For starters, the Games will decide world championships in eight equestrian disciplines and Neiman needed to depict them all in one image. The resulting struggle produced an original — both front and back.
“He (Neiman) worked very hard to get all the events in (the painting),” Isaacs explained. “He was always calling me and going, ‘Do we have everything? Is it on there?’
“As a matter of fact, on the back of the painting, he has the events written so he wouldn’t forget any of them,” Isaacs said.
Neiman, in effect, autographed both front and back of his painting.
Height was also a challenge.
At 87, Neiman doesn’t like to climb ladders to paint. No Sistine Chapel ceilings for him.
So the size of the painting — 48 inches tall and 65 inches wide, including the frame — allowed him to stand on the floor to paint.
“He wanted to focus on the horse and I think that’s what he accomplished here,” Isaacs said.
January 21st, 2009 at 5:00 pm
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