Many in the art world today dismiss illustrators as being commercial simply because their work was done on assignment for a client, rather than for themselves. Sadly, these art world people have limited imagination and a restricted sense of curiosity. Rembrandt and Leonardo were commercial artists. This boxing illustration\\u002Fpainting was done for Sports Illustrated, yet can hang in any world-class museum. Here, Peak captures the energy of a sports moment with artwork that straddles the line between representation and abstraction. It was 1961, and the fine art world was in the midst of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Bob Peak was never an artist who just mechanically represented of the world around them. The concept of art as a process, exemplified by artists like de Kooning or Kline, is on full display here, with brushstrokes as quick and fast as a right hook. Although it may appear abstract initially, it remains grounded in extensive academic training. All the figures are correct anatomically and rendered with perspective. It is abstract but not chaotic. Peak's interwoven composition of arms, legs, and figures is quite impressive. Bob Peak, in my opinion, was the Norman Rockwell of post-war American Illustration. This is one of the works that paved the way for a new way of seeing. It's more fine art than commercial art. For Apocalypse Now, in 1979, Francis Ford Coppola could have hired any artist in the world to create the movie poster and image for his film. He hired Bob Peak. We did a side-by-side with a million-dollar Francis Bacon from the same year. The similarities are unmistakable. Again, in my opinion, from a technical point of view, Peak is a far superior artist to Bacon. That is a bold statement to make since Bacon is a seven-figure artist. The big point is that price does not determine quality in today's art market. Some of the least talented and most derivative artists are achieving nose-bleed prices while masters of their craft silently remain out of the spotlight. Signed lower left and inscribed on version 1961 with printer's marks Unframed Very good condition, some minor scuff marks visible mostly with raking light and on close inspection