Muhammad Ali 1977

Andy Warhol created this painting of Muhammad Ali, but when? We can only imagine the flurry of brushstrokes, a dance between intuition and intention. Look at that background—explosive gestures of bright yellow radiating like sunshine, or the flash of camera bulbs. It's like Warhol is painting the energy of a boxing ring, the tension, the spectacle! And Ali’s face, those determined eyes, rendered in shades of brown and black. I wonder, was Warhol thinking about the weight of representation? How to capture the essence of such a charismatic figure? The fists, punches of colour, are pure Warhol—bold and iconic. You know, this piece makes me think about other artists who explore celebrity and identity, like Elizabeth Peyton. It is a reminder that artists are constantly riffing off each other, drawing inspiration from the past while pushing towards something new.