Addendum: These are not originals as previously stated; rather they are professional prints.
The late Ernie Barnes was a unique soul who expressed himself through his incredible works of art. A former offensive lineman for the
San Diego Chargers, several of his pieces once hung in the San Diego Hall of Champions. Barnes once revealed: “Throughout my five seasons in the NFL, I remained at the deepest level of my being...an artist.”
This lot features three black-and-white prints of Barnes’s charcoal drawings depicting elements of the game he loved. The first piece, entitled “The Pulling Guards,” was certainly taken from his personal experience. Framed and
matted, it measures 25.5” wide by 20” high and shows a pair of pulling guards about to do some damage on a defensive player or two. Said Barnes: “I’ve been asked many times: ‘What do guards think about they pull out of the line to hit somebody?’ My answer: ‘Running through him.’ Maybe a better reply can be seen on the faces here.”
The second charcoal drawing print depicts a defeated warrior and is accurately entitled “To Know Defeat.” Said Barnes: “There is little one can say about what it feels like to lose. Defeat is a personal thing, and in it each man must suffer in his own way.” Framed and matted, it measures 20” wide by 26” high.
The third and final charcoal drawing print showcased in this lot is simply entitled “The Hand-Off.” Said Barnes: “I have thought of the pro quarterback as being much like a matador and the big men surrounding him in violent conflict as powerful bulls. Armed with only his courage and a knowledge of all the complexities of a modern pro defense, the quarterback in this drawing hands off to a charging back as he drives hard towards the wall of bone and muscle.”
Framed and matted, it measures 20” wide by 25.5” high. Barnes has signed all three charcoal drawings in pencil on the bottom right corners.
Includes Letter of Provenance from the San Diego Hall of Champions. Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.