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Althea Gibson

Althea Gibson
Usage Conditions Apply
Artist
Boris Chaliapin, 22 Sep 1904 - 18 May 1979
Sitter
Althea Gibson, 25 Aug 1927 - 28 Sep 2003
Date
1957
Type
Painting
Medium
Watercolor and graphite pencil on paperboard
Dimensions
Sight: 62.3 x 46.3 cm (24 1/2 x 18 1/4")
Mat: 71.1 x 55.9 cm (28 x 22")
Topic
Personal Attribute\Teeth
Equipment\Sports Equipment\Tennis racket
Equipment\Sports Equipment\Ball
Althea Gibson: Female
Althea Gibson: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer
Althea Gibson: Literature\Writer\Biographer
Althea Gibson: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Golfer
Althea Gibson: Politics and Government\Civil servant
Althea Gibson: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Tennis
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Chris Murphy
Object number
NPG.78.TC406
Exhibition Label
Born Silver, South Carolina
In 1955, Althea Gibson contemplated retiring from competitive tennis. Had she done so, she would have denied herself her greatest moment. Two years later, this “lanky jumping jack of a girl,” who had begun her sports career playing paddle tennis in New York’s Harlem, was arriving home from England, the winner of the women’s singles and doubles titles at the prestigious Wimbledon championships. Within another two months, she had won the U.S. women’s singles crown at Forest Hills, New York, and emerged triumphant as America’s clay court champion as well. “Althea Gibson,” reported Time magazine in its cover story for August 26, 1957, “is not the most graceful figure on the courts, and her game is not stylish.” Nevertheless, it was clear that at thirty—an age when most tennis players lose their competitive edge—she was only then hitting her stride.
Collection Description
In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection—featuring prominent international figures and events—enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context.
En 1978, la revista Time donó a la National Portrait Gallery cerca de 800 obras de arte originales creadas para sus portadas. Nuestro museo se dedica a narrar la historia de figuras que han contribuido a forjar el desarrollo de Estados Unidos, y es así que la Colección Time, que incluye retratos de importantes personalidades internacionales, nos ayuda a comprender mejor a nuestra nación en un contexto global.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view