Monument to Joe Louis, (sculpture) | Smithsonian Institution

Object Details

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Michigan survey, 1993.; Detroit Institute of Arts, 1988.; Detroit Historical Museum, City of Detroit Monuments, 2004.; Image on file.; (On back of arm:) MONUMENT/TO/JOE LOUIS/BY ROBERT GRAHAM/A GIFT FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED/TO THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF/DETROIT. THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF/ART AND ITS FOUNDERS SOCIETY/ON THE OCCASION OF THE MUSEUM'S/CENTENNIAL 1885-1985 unsigned; The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.
Summary: A massive fist, suspended by pins and wire from four steel posts that form a pyramid. The fist is painted black. The fist moves in the wind. The sculpture is a model of Joe Louis' arm, modeled to scale, with one inch equal to one foot.

Commissioned 1983. 1986. Dedicated Oct. 16, 1986

Owner/Location: Coadministered by City of Detroit Landscape Division 2008 Water Board Building, 735 Randolph Street Detroit Michigan 48226; Coadministered by Detroit Institute of Arts 5200 Woodward Avenue Detroit Michigan 48202 Accession Number: 1986.58; Located Intersection of Woodward & Jefferson Avenues Detroit Michigan

Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums

Topic: Homage--Louis, Joe; Occupation--Sport--Boxing; Ethnic; Figure--Fragment--Hand