BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Muhammad Ali sketches fetch knockout prices at NY auction

FILE PHOTO: Britain Boxing – Lennox Lewis at the Muhammad Ali exhibition at the O2 Arena – O2 Arena, London – 12/7/16 Lennox Lewis poses at the Muhammad Ali exhibition Action Images via Reuters / Matthew Childs Livepic/File Photo

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

ovp test

mLife Diagnostics LLC: Oral Fluid Drug Testing

Male shot by female at Shreveport apartment

Class to create biodiverse backyard

Rules for outbursts at Caddo School Board Meeting

BE - Test Share

More Sports

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118165728

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118184948

(Reuters) — A boxing sketch in felt pen by the late Muhammad Ali sold for more than $425,000 at an auction in New York on Tuesday of his little-known art works, some of which went for many times over estimates.

The sketch, called “Sting Like a Bee,” and drawn on paper in 1978, was the most sought-after work among more than 20 paintings, drawings and sketches by the former heavyweight champion that reflected Ali’s interest in religion, social justice and his own career. It carried a pre-sale estimate of $40,000 to $60,000.

“Ref, he did float like a butterfly and sting like a bee!” reads the speech bubble from a boxer knocked out by an opponent whose arms are raised in victory. Ali famously used the phrase to describe his boxing style.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. boxing great Muhammad Ali poses during the Crystal Award ceremony at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, in this January 28, 2006 photo. REUTERS/Andreas Meier/File Photo

Bonhams auctioneers said that 26 art works by Ali sold for a total of $945,524, more than three times the lower end of estimates. “Sting Like A Bee” was bought by a British-based collector of Ali memorabilia, Bonhams said. Other buyers were not identified.

Ali’s passion for art was little known, but he liked to sketch as a way of unwinding after a fight or training. Some of the works for sale were traditional nature paintings, while others were more personal cartoon-like sketches.

A 1979 red, white and blue painting on canvas, with the words “I Love You America,” sold for $150,000, while a 1967 sketch in felt pen comparing Islam to Christianity fetched $24,000.

The former world heavyweight champion, who announced his conversion to Islam in 1964 after winning the title for the first time when he went by the name Cassius Clay, died in 2016 at age 74 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

His paintings and drawings came from the collection of Rodney Hilton Brown, who worked with Ali on his art. 

© Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023.

Northeast

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241119133138

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Cloudy

la

56°F Cloudy Feels like 56°
Wind
3 mph WSW
Humidity
96%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Overcast. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.
51°F Overcast. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
3 mph N
Precip
8%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Crescent