Popular artist LeRoy Neiman died Wednesday at the age of 91. His expressionist paintings and screen prints captured athletes and musicians in brilliantly colored renderings.
The St. Paul, Minnesota native began an association with Playboy magazine in the mid-50’s, traveling around the globe to capture depictions that were used in Hugh Hefner’s publication.
His dynamic sports canvases were often on display and celebrated during worldwide televised Olympic coverage.
Neiman amassed a fortune during his prolific career and became a generous benefactor to Columbia University’s School of the Arts. His $6 million donation spawned the LeRoy Neiman Center for Print Studies.
According to a New York Times ranking of commercial popularity, Neiman’s success was akin to that of Norman Rockwell, Grandma Moses and Andrew Wyeth.
LeRoy Neiman is survived by his wife Janet. The couple wed in 1957 and lived for many decades in a landmark building overlooking Central Park in NYC. The three story space served as his art studio, storage facility and penthouse.
Photo: WENN