Sepia boxing canvas
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- Regular price€19,00
The essentials: a portrait of Muhammad Ali in sepia on an aged paper ground, dark brown gloves raised in a guard, with stains and crazing printed into the artwork. 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.
The day gloves became compulsory
On 7 September 1892, in New Orleans, John L. Sullivan defended his world heavyweight title against James J. Corbett. It was the first heavyweight world championship fought with gloves, under the Queensberry rules, rather than bare knuckled.
Sullivan, champion for ten years and the emblem of the old school, was relying on power. Corbett, younger, moved, slipped and made it last. He won by knockout in the twenty-first round. That night boxing changed era: footwork became a weapon and the glove took over everywhere. The sepia treatment of this canvas points back to that period, to printed bills and collodion photographs.
What you see
Portrait format. Muhammad Ali is framed from the hips up, fists raised in a guard, bare chested, dark brown gloves with visible laces, dark trunks with a wide Everlast waistband. The ground is a beige to ochre wash worked as old paper, with stains, scuffs and bleached patches printed into the artwork.
The figure itself is desaturated towards sepia, the outlines slightly softened at the edges. From 3 m / 10 ft you read an old portrait; from 1 m / 3 ft the crazing in the ground becomes visible.
Technical specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Subject | Muhammad Ali portrait in sepia on an aged paper ground |
| Finish | Desaturated photograph, printed old paper texture |
| Dominant colours | Sepia, beige, 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 sepia finish suits interiors of wood, leather and brick, where it carries on the warm materials already in the room. The stains and crazing are printed into the artwork, so they are identical on every size and do not develop over time. 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 paper texture that needs surface
The whole point of the finish sits in the crazing and the bleached patches of the ground — they are what makes it read as old, and they only show from 50 × 70 cm / 20 × 28 in upwards. Below that you are left with a sepia portrait and no texture. Allow 80 × 120 cm / 31 × 47 in for them to register from a sofa. The size chart by wall type covers the other placements room by room.
You may also like
- Adonis Creed canvas — the same aged paper treatment applied to a screen boxer, if you are hanging a pair.
- Cassius Clay canvas — the same fighter in the same era handled on black, if you want more contrast.
- Muhammad Ali portrait canvas — a painted montage in red and ochre, in the same family of warm tones.
Frequently asked questions
How long has boxing been fought with gloves?
Since 7 September 1892 at world heavyweight level, when James J. Corbett beat John L. Sullivan in the twenty-first round in New Orleans — the first heavyweight title fight under the Queensberry rules rather than bare knuckled.
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.
Are the marks on the ground a defect?
No, they are printed. The stains, scuffs and crazing are part of the artwork, identical on every copy and every size, and they do not develop with time.
How many sizes are offered?
Ten, from 20 × 30 cm / 8 × 12 in to 110 × 160 cm / 43 × 63 in, as on most canvases in the collection. The old paper texture that makes this piece becomes legible from 50 × 70 cm / 20 × 28 in.
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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