Apollo Creed canvas
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- Regular price€19,00
The essentials: a watercolour portrait of Apollo Creed: bust three quarters on, bare chested, moustache, eyes to the side, painted in olive green, ochre and white on a pale ground, the outlines dissolving into spatter. 10 sizes from 20 × 30 cm / 8 × 12 in to 110 × 160 cm / 43 × 63 in. Frame sold separately. From €19 to €109 depending on size, free standard shipping.
A champion modelled on Muhammad Ali
Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers from 1976, makes no secret of his model: the talk, the press conferences, the predictions, the showmanship — all of it comes from Muhammad Ali, world champion at the time.
His entrance in the first film takes the reference all the way: the champion arrives at the ring dressed as George Washington and then as Uncle Sam, in the year of the American bicentennial. Ali had made that sort of appearance a commercial weapon; the film turns it into a character trait. The character dies in a ring in the fourth instalment, in 1985 — which sets up the Moscow fight, and thirty years later the whole series devoted to his son.
What you see
Portrait format, off-white ground. The boxer is framed from the shoulders to the crown, three quarters on, looking to the left, bare chested, heavy shoulders, moustache clearly drawn. The treatment is watercolour: the skin is built in washes of olive green, ochre, brown and white, and the outlines dissolve outwards into spatter and drips.
No text, no setting, nothing from a ring. From 3 m / 10 ft you read a face on white; from 1 m / 3 ft you see that nothing is closed.
Technical specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Subject | Watercolour portrait of Apollo Creed |
| Finish | Digital watercolour, washes and spatter |
| Dominant colours | Off-white, olive green, ochre, brown |
| Orientation | Portrait |
| Material | Cotton canvas, high definition digital print |
| Inks | Pigment based, UV resistant |
| Thickness | 3 mm / 0.12 in |
| Canvas delivery | Rolled in a protective tube, no stretcher bars |
| Frame | Frame sold separately |
| Care | Dry microfibre cloth, barely damp cloth if needed |
| Use | Indoor |
| Sizes | 20 × 30, 30 × 45, 40 × 60, 50 × 70, 60 × 90, 70 × 100, 80 × 120, 90 × 130, 100 × 150, 110 × 160 cm (8 × 12 to 43 × 63 in) |
| Price | From €19 to €109 depending on size |
| Shipping | Free standard shipping |
Worth knowing: the off-white ground and the absence of text make this one of the quietest canvases in the collection: it hangs in a living room without announcing a sports reference at first glance. On a white wall, a wooden frame gives it a clean edge. Frames are sold separately: wooden frame up to 100 cm / 39 in per side, XXL wooden frame from 110 to 200 cm / 43 to 79 in, or aluminium frame in 8 finishes.
A watercolour with no outline wants distance
Nothing is closed: the shoulders and the lower chest dissolve into spatter, and the eye rebuilds the shape as you step back. The canvas gains from being seen from a distance rather than simply being large — 50 × 70 cm / 20 × 28 in in an entrance, 80 × 120 cm / 31 × 47 in on a clear living room span. The size chart by wall type covers the other placements room by room.
You may also like
- Adonis Creed canvas — his son on screen, in a guard with CREED on the trunks, if you want the two generations together.
- Rocky vs Apollo canvas — the duel of the first film, in palette knife paint and landscape format.
- Rocky Balboa gloves canvas — his 1976 opponent on a black ground, if you are hanging the pair.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Apollo Creed based on?
Muhammad Ali, world champion while the film was being made. The talk, the pre-fight predictions and the showmanship come from him, down to the ring entrance as George Washington and then Uncle Sam in the year of the American bicentennial.
What size canvas should I hang above a sofa?
The working rule is about two thirds of the width of the furniture below it, centred 145 cm / 57 in from the floor. Over a 200 cm / 79 in three-seater, that means 80 × 120 cm / 31 × 47 in; over a two-seater, 60 × 90 cm / 24 × 35 in; in a hallway, 30 × 45 cm / 12 × 18 in. The full size chart by wall type is on the Ali vs Liston 1965 page.
Is there any text on this canvas?
None at all — no name, no title, no signature. Just the portrait on an off-white ground, which is what makes it the least declarative piece in the range.
Is the background of this canvas white?
Off-white, with the watercolour spatter running out into it. On a pure white wall a wooden frame gives the canvas a defined edge; on a coloured wall it stands on its own.
Does the canvas come with a frame?
No, the canvas ships on its own, rolled in a protective tube. Frames are sold separately: wooden frame up to 100 cm / 39 in per side, XXL wooden frame from 110 to 200 cm / 43 to 79 in, or aluminium frame in 8 finishes. The wooden kits are 2.5 cm / 1 in thick and come with instructions.
How do I clean a canvas print?
A dry microfibre cloth handles almost everything. For a mark that stays, use a barely damp cloth with no detergent, wiping across the surface. No abrasive sponge, no glass cleaner.
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