A rare image of the late Muhammad Ali is up for sale on online auction house, Catawiki. The art is part of Andy Warhol’s Athlete's series, which examined famous sportspeople, such as OJ Simpson and Pele. The painting, which is numbered and signed by the artist, is set to sell for £40k when the auction ends next Sunday (28th).
In Warhol’s classic pop-art style, the image of Ali captures the intensity of his concentration and fight-focus. Warhol took the photograph using his Polaroid Big Shot camera, taking around 60 images then selecting the four to be made into screens. Pre-painted canvases were created in different flesh tones, and from there, Warhol would apply coloured areas to signify eyes, lips, hair and jackets. The silkscreen was then applied as the final layer.
