Born in 1921 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, LeRoy Neiman was an American artist known for his dynamic and brilliantly colored paintings and screenprints of athletes, musicians, and sporting events. From an early age, Neiman exhibited a talent for the arts, drawing tattoos, sketches for grocery stores and portraits. In 1942, Neiman was drafted in the U.S. Army where he continued exploring the arts during his spare time. Following his honorable discharge, Neiman attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, eventually becoming an instructor teaching figure drawing and fashion illustration throughout the 1950’s. His chance meeting with Hugh Hefner while freelancing for a local Chicago department store would become a springboard in his career.
After meeting Hefner, Neiman was employed as an illustrator for Playboy magazine. From the 1950’s through the 1970’s, he traveled around the world capturing the liveliest aspects of society and sport. He created a body of work for the “Man of Leisure” series that would later become known as the “Playboy Collection.”
As he gained in notoriety, other major publications began featuring his work and he became the official artist for five Olympic Games with ABC Television. Using vibrant colors, he portrayed some of the most famous athletes and sporting events of the time.
Neiman is celebrated and remembered for his dramatic and lively contributions to the art world. His work received many awards throughout his life, and original works hang in the collections of many museums, including the Baltimore Museum of Fine Art, the Museo de Bellas Artes in Caracas, and the Art Institute of Chicago. His art remains among the most widely recognized in the world.
