LeRoy Neiman-Man of Magnetizing Arts

LeRoy Neiman is one of the most popular modern artists in the United States today. His bold, graphic paintings showcase his mastery of classic technique but also present a clear signature style. LeRoy Neiman paintings utilize brush strokes as well as depth to lend an essence of movement to his most famous pop culture related works of arts. This is especially important in his countless paintings that capture major sporting event and has led to Neiman being called the greatest American sports artist of all time.

Neiman was born in 1921 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He grew up with a passion for art but no real form training before he entered to fight for the country in World War II. After his service in the Second World War, Neiman began his education in the arts at the Art Institute in Chicago where he continued to teach for ten years after graduating. Neiman began his iconic pop culture art career by working as an illustrator for Playboy magazine in 1954. He continued to contribute to the magazine over the next 50 years. His most famous work for Playboy was in the many iterations of his Femlin character for the Party Jokes page. Neiman also worked on a feature titled “Man at His Leisure” in which he would illustrate his exotic travels. This, no doubt, played nicely into the type of leisure activities Neiman paintings would go on to favor throughout the remainder of the artist’s long and magnificent career.

Leroy Neiman’s art career was propelled to the next level after 1960. He embraced his dual loves of art and traveling and began covering global sporting events and leisure activities. During this period, he famously painted Formula One races, Golf Tournaments, Tennis Championships, Boxing starts, Kentucky Derby, and many other important worldwide events. These iconic images helped Leroy Neiman paintings find a new, generation defining role. The things they captured were embraced by the public as well as the artist’s unique style and ability to portray movement in a new way. During this period, Neiman also began to paint iconic landmarks and scenery. Leroy Neiman’s striking Brooklyn Bridge and Arc de Triompheare excellent examples of this. He went on to capture many celebrities and other iconic events like the Olympics and the Academy Awards, further imbedding his reputation as one of the most famous pop artists of all time. He also painted many regular leisure activities includeing the famous Neiman art Wine, Women, and Cigars, and Baccarat.

Leroy Neiman continued to paint up until the very end of his long and impressive career. He dies on June 20, 2012 in New York City at the age of 91. LeRoy Neiman artwork has stood the test of time, and his work is still extremely collectible. The collector can find LeRoy Neiman art for sale today in many galleries, public and private auctions, and websites. Neiman’s unique artistic style and relatable subject matter have catapulted his work into some of the most collected and celebrated of an American artist. Neiman original art and prints remain highly popular among art critics and collectors and will continue to well into the future.