Cat's Cradle
Social Media Share Tools
Object Details
- Artist
- Henry C. Casselli, Jr., born 25 October 1946
- Sitter
- Muhammad Ali, 17 Jan 1942 - 3 Jun 2016
- Exhibition Label
- When Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay, 1942) proclaimed “I am the greatest,” it was hard not to agree. Just twenty-two years old when he stunned the boxing world by upsetting heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in 1964, Ali would become the first three-time winner of the heavyweight crown. A consummate showman whose braggadocio and rhyming banter captivated the public, the fleet-footed and graceful Ali was mesmerizing as he confounded opponents with his unorthodox boxing style. Ali was also a potent force beyond the ring. In 1967 he became a symbol of conscience to many when he was convicted of draft evasion and stripped of his title after refusing military induction on the basis of his religious beliefs. The Supreme Court later overturned the conviction, and Ali battled back in the ring to regain the heavyweight title in 1974.
- Provenance
- Sig [Sigmund] Rogich, Las Vegas; gift 2001 to NPG
- Credit Line
- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of the Sig Rogich Family Trust
- 1981
- Object number
- NPG.2002.2
- Restrictions & Rights
- Usage conditions apply
- Copyright
- © 2002, Henry Casselli
- Type
- Painting
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Stretcher: 121.9 x 182.7cm (48 x 71 15/16")
- Frame: 144.1 x 204.8 x 8.6cm (56 3/4 x 80 5/8 x 3 3/8")
- See more items in
- National Portrait Gallery Collection
- Exhibition
- Champions
- On View
- NPG, South Gallery 342 Mezzanine
- National Portrait Gallery
- Topic
- Muhammad Ali: Male
- Muhammad Ali: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Boxer
- Muhammad Ali: Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Portrait
- Record ID
- npg_NPG.2002.2
- Metadata Usage (text)
- Usage conditions apply
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4265626e4-8840-49e2-8632-2d8c07678019
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.