Marciano, by Stephen Holland

It was because of this, that the choice to paint the great Rocky Marciano, had all the potential to be one of Holland’s greatest works.

Marciano achieved an entire professional fighting career without one loss. Leaving the ring as the only heavyweight to retire undefeated in all but two of his fights resulting in a knock out.

He was a self trained fighter, who used a stuffed laundry bag as a heavy bag stand-in, as he scraped together his fighting career. Having grown up as the son of poor immigrant parents in Brockton Massachusetts, where the only prospects were shoe making or the army, it was easy to understand how the common-man easily gravitated to a fighter from these roots. Marciano would not let any comer defeat him in the ring.

Known as a relentless fighter with a punch that can send a gifted boxer straight to the mat, Rocky is perhaps the great tough guy archetype of the 20th century.

As such Marciano has made for both the perfect subject and muse for painter Stephen Holland. When Holland was asked about this latest work he replied, “I think this is one of the best paintings I’ve ever done.”