Circa 1973, patinated bronze, with Tallix foundry mark to right shoe heel, mounted on a wooden base.

18 x 17 x 7 1/2 in.

From the Estate of the late Robin Satinsky, Donglomur, Villanova, Pennsylvania

The large version of the sculpture was installed in 1974 in Veterans Stadium, and later moved to Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Sculptor Joe Brown had a fascinating life as an athlete, coach, artist and professor. He is best known for his bronze works depicting athletes. Joe grew up in Gray's Ferry as a Jewish family in an Irish neighborhood. After graduating South Philadelphia High, Joe enrolled at Temple where he played varsity football and was also on the boxing team. Joe's brother Harry boxed at the professional level, and like his bother Joe too turned professional as a pugilist, earning a 9-0 record before leaving the sport. Afterward, Joe found part-time work as a model at a sculpture class at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, inspiring him to create his own sculptural works. With the encouragement of Dr. R. Tait McKenzie and others, he would go on to have a successful career creating impressive bronze works of sport related scenes. Joe Brown describes the motivation behind his works: "I have insisted strength and sensitivity can exist together. The contemporary image of man as an absurdity is one that I reject. Fallibility and absurdity are synonymous. Our world, surely, is not one of sweetness and light, but just as surely its is not one of darkness and doom. I think we come closer to the truth to say It's so good it's a shame it isn't better-but it won't be better if we stop trying."

Princeton University hired Joe as a boxing coach and later as a sculpture professor for four decades. Brown had several large commissions, including pieces for Veteran's Stadium, Temple University, and others.

Good estate condition; attractive verdigris patination to surface; base with some staining and tight crack.