Malcolm X and Cassius Clay
1964
LeRoy Neiman American, 1921-2012
United States
A former student and instructor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, LeRoy Neiman was well-known for his depictions of athletes and sporting events. In 1964 he began a lifelong friendship with Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, making innumerable drawings and prints of the iconic boxer. In this double portrait, Ali is depicted with Malcolm X, who became his spiritual advisor in 1962.
Brush and pen and black ink with white opaque, matte paint and scraping, and graphite, on ivory wove paper