Following in Francis Bacon’s footsteps, Alexander Van Armstrong briefly experimented with boxing related subject matter.
His interest deepened when American film director, Spike Lee, commissioned a giant portrait head of Joe Louis for one of his movies, together with portraits of Jack Johnson and Muhammad Ali.
The Joe Louis wowed visitors to The Brooklyn Museum’s recent exhibition of Lee’s art collection. The Guardian singled it out as one of the highlights. It currently features in his new movie, starring Denzel Washington.
Van Armstrong’s magisterial portrayal of this iconography affords a fascinating complement to this British artist’s engagement with Mythological themes.
Sebastian Ferretti, University of Chicago
January, 2026.
