Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 9

Nelson Mandela
The Tennis Court - Mandela, South African President, Signed, Robben Island, sport

2003

About the Item

Nelson Mandela, The Tennis Court, Signed Limited Edition Lithograph Many people are unaware that Nelson Mandela turned his hand to art in his 80's as a way of leaving a legacy for his family. He spent time with an art tutor and learnt to draw. The transformation of the courtyard so the prisoners could exercise playing tennis led Nelson Mandela to mediate on the perversity of being able to play such a civilised sport in so brutal an environment. The motivation reads: “In 1977 forced manual labour was ended after we maintained a two-year go-slow strike. We asked to do something more useful with our days instead of the monotony of mining lime and stone from the quarries. This action, however, robbed us of the opportunity to exercise, and after much effort we convinced the warders to allow us to convert the courtyard into a tennis court. Prior to this, the prisoners were marched round and round the courtyard for half an hour everyday. We used to walk around the courtyard quickly in single file under the watchful eye of the guards. Our persistence paid off and we painted the cement courtyard surface to create a traditional tennis court layout. Strangely, Robben Island was the first opportunity for me to play tennis since university. I was by no means an expert, but the exercise was a welcome break from the walks to and from the quarry and round and round the yard. Being able to exercise one’s mind and body through play was immensely freeing. Playing tennis and attending to my gardening became my two favourite hobbies on Robben Island. It was a strange sensation enjoying such civilised hobbies in such an uncivilised place. It caused me to reflect on the strange and perverse nature of apartheid, where they wrongly thought that one peoples’ freedom could only be enjoyed at the expense and oppression of another.” An edition of 350 lithographs was launched on Robben Island in 2003.
  • Creator:
    Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)
  • Creation Year:
    2003
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)Width: 20.08 in (51 cm)Depth: 1.58 in (4 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Knowle Lane, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: The Tennis Court1stDibs: LU120714348681

More From This Seller

View All
The Lighthouse - Mandela, Former South African President, Signed, Robben Island
By Nelson Mandela
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
Nelson Mandela, The Lighthouse, Signed Limited Edition Lithograph Many people are unaware that Nelson Mandela turned his hand to art in his 80's as a way of leaving a legacy for his family. He spent time with an art tutor and learnt to draw. In 2002, when creating the The Lighthouse print...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

The Courtyard - Nelson Mandela, South African, inspiration, Robben Island, hope
By Nelson Mandela
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
Nelson Mandela, The Courtyard, Signed Limited Edition Lithograph Many people are unaware that Nelson Mandela turned his hand to art in his 80's as a way of leaving a legacy for his f...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

The Harbour - Mandela, Former South African President, Signed Art, Robben Island
By Nelson Mandela
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
Nelson Mandela, The Harbour, Signed Limited Edition Lithograph Many people are unaware that Nelson Mandela turned his hand to art in his 80's as a way of leaving a legacy for his fam...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Mandela's Walk - Mandela, Former South African President, Signed, Robben Island
By Nelson Mandela
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
Nelson Mandela, The Walk, Signed Limited Edition Lithograph Many people are unaware that Nelson Mandela turned his hand to art in his 80's as a way of leaving a legacy for his family...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Tetbury Church - Signed Lithograph, Royal Art, king Charles, Cotswolds
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
Tetbury Church by His Majesty King Charles III - Hand Signed Limited Edition Lithograph. Belgravia Gallery has been honoured to be associated with ...
Category

1990s Academic Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Windsor Castle North Aspect - Signed Lithograph, Royal Art, Royal Home, British
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
Windsor Castle by His Majesty King Charles III - Hand Signed Limited Edition Lithograph. Belgravia Gallery has been honoured to be asso...
Category

1990s Academic Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

You May Also Like

Vintage Rene Ricard Mal de Fin: Paintings 1989-1990 poster with poetry and ocean
By Rene Ricard
Located in New York, NY
Original poster commemorating Rene Ricard's 1990 exhibition Paintings 1989-1990 at the Petersburg Press Gallery, New York. The poster is folded as it was sent out for the original ex...
Category

1990s Contemporary Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Vintage Rene Ricard Mal de Fin: Paintings 1989-1990 poster with poetry and ocean
By Rene Ricard
Located in New York, NY
Original poster commemorating Rene Ricard's 1990 exhibition Mal de Fin: Paintings 1989-1990 at the Petersburg Press Gallery, New York. The image reproduces his painting, Mal de Fin, ...
Category

1990s Contemporary Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Exhibition Poster Large Shelf Still Life, 2017
By Jonas Wood
Located in Draper, UT
Artist: After Jonas Wood Title: Large Shelf Still Life Year: 2017 Medium: Print Technique: Exhibition Poster, Lithograph printed in colours on ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Jonas Wood Voorlinden Large Shelf Still Life, 2017 Condition Contemporary
By Jonas Wood
Located in Draper, UT
Artist: Jonas Wood Title: Large Shelf Still Life Year: 2017 Medium: Poster Technique: Offset lithograph printed in colours on wove paper, the full sheet printed to the edges Classifi...
Category

2010s Contemporary Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

JR au Louvre, 29 Mars 2019, 18h08 - Contemporary 21st Century Print Edition 2021
By JR artist
Located in Draper, UT
JR, JR au Louvre, 29 Mars 2019, 18h08 Contemporary, 21st Century, Print, Edition 20 colors lithograph on white paper BFK Rives - 300 grams Edition of 250 35 x ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Landscape Prints

Materials

Lithograph

"Four Corners Project" Mathematical Geography and Global Art Monograph in Blue
Located in Detroit, MI
This monograph contains Nystuen's calculations, actually used by Barr to position his abstract tetrahedral sculpture within the earth. Placement of the sculpture vertices in Easter I...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Landscape Prints

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Recently Viewed

View All