Foundry Signature w/ StampEtched on the Ring Near the Back of the Hand 

Condition Excellent 

Purchased fromGallery 

Provenance / History  

Story / Additional Info The Gymnast - State I, is part of Richard MacDonald’s first series of smaller versions, or ¼ life, of the bronze sculpture of “The Flair Across America - The Gymnast” that is still the centerpiece for Georgia’s World Congress Center. Created for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, “The Flair” or “The Gymnast” as it is sometimes called is one of Richard MacDonald’s most prestigious works. The 26-foot bronze sculpture, which gets its name from former Olympic champion Kurt Thomas’ original pommel horse move, was described by the artist as a celebration of the triumph of the human spirit. “The essence lies not in the victory, but in the struggle,” MacDonald said in his 1996 interviews about the piece. Previously commissioned as a painter for the 1984 Olympics, MacDonald had a long history of blending athletics into art before becoming a sculptor in a desire to create works that were more lasting than the paintings and illustrations he’d been trained in. Since then he has had the honor of working with some of the world’s premier athletes and dancers, basing his sculptures off of his own sketches of live models. Considered by some as the world’s preeminent living figurative sculptor, he tries to capture the essence of the subject from the inside out.  

Certificate of AuthenticityMerrill Chase Gallery 

LID140829