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Arthur Ashe

Arthur Ashe
Usage Conditions Apply
Artist
Louis Briel, born 1945
Sitter
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr., 10 Jul 1943 - 6 Feb 1993
Date
1993
Type
Painting
Medium
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
116.8 × 75.6 × 3.8 cm (46 × 29 3/4 × 1 1/2")
Frame: 135.3 × 94.6 × 7 cm (53 1/4 × 37 1/4 × 2 3/4")
Topic
Interior
Home Furnishings\Furniture\Seating\Chair
Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses
Costume\Jewelry\Ring\Wedding Band
Equipment\Sports Equipment\Tennis racket
Costume\Jewelry\Watch\Wrist watch
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr.: Male
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr.: Literature\Writer
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr.: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Activist\Civil rights activist
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr.: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Tennis
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr.: Presidential Medal of Freedom
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Virginia Heroes, Inc.
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Object number
NPG.93.101
Exhibition Label
Born Richmond, Virginia
Armed with superb natural talent, a keen competitive spirit, and poise that set him apart from his rivals, Arthur Ashe made his way from the segregated playground courts of his youth to the pinnacle of the tennis world. Rated among the world’s top ten players while still in college, Ashe reached the number-one ranking in spectacular fashion in 1968. After capturing the U.S. amateur title, he served an astonishing twenty-six aces in the final to become the first African American man to claim the U.S. Open championship. Ashe went on to record multiple tournament victories, including his memorable triumph over Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon in 1975. Following a heart attack that forced his retirement in 1980, Ashe dedicated his energies to humanitarian causes. He became a leader in the fight against AIDS in 1992, after revealing that he had contracted the virus through a transfusion.
Provenance
The artist; donated to NPG 1993 by Commonwealth of Virginia and Virginia Heroes, Inc., Richmond
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Exhibition
Champions
On View
NPG, South Gallery 342 Mezzanine