A one-of-a-kind art collection has emerged for the first time ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Eight paintings of Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics are currently up for sale.
The “Golden Eight” collection, signed by Phelps himself and created by nationally recognized artist Brian Fox, depicts iconic moments from one of the Olympian’s most memorable performances.
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The eight paintings represent all eight gold medals won by Phelps in 2008.
The exclusive and private collection is the only one of its kind, capturing “one of the greatest moments in U.S. sports history, as Phelps grew to become the most decorated Olympian of all time,” according to a press release.
Each painting is valued at $250,000 and is being sold by the current private owner.
One-third of the proceeds will be donated to charity, according to press materials.
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Fox, an American artist who is known for his expertise in painting athletes and celebrities on canvas, expressed in a statement to Fox News Digital how monumental it was to paint Phelps.
“I’ve painted a lot of athletes over the years, but translating Michael Phelps’ movements and the fluidity of water into these paintings was a new challenge,” he said.
“My goal was to make viewers feel like they were right back at the 2008 Olympics, evoking the excitement of watching Phelps take home those victories.”
Three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Rowdy Gaines, an Olympian in 1984, told Fox News Digital about the significance of this collection, which highlights an “indelible moment in U.S. Olympic history.”
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“Michael is the single greatest Olympian ever,” he said. “You can’t deny 28 Olympic medals, 23 of them gold … That perfect storm of what happened in 2008 will never happen again.”
Gaines, who is based in Florida, commended illustrator Fox for his “incredible sports” artistry, describing his “Golden Eight” paintings as if “looking at a picture.”
“[People] ask me what’s my favorite Olympics and I always say, outside my own in L.A. in ’84, I think 2008,” he said. “Just because of that episode that we will never see again.”
As the U.S. has ranked first in swimming since 1956, Gaines noted that Americans continue to feel a sense of camaraderie when the Olympics return, wanting to champion the athletes who continue to make the U.S. proud.
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“I feel very fortunate and blessed that I was able to represent my country at the Olympic Games,” said Gaines. “And I think people realize how special [the Games] are because they’re every four years.”
“It definitely brings the country and the world together,” he continued.
“We can fight all we want in between, but the Olympics is a together-type moment where you certainly cheer for your own country. It’s [also] a chance where the greatest athletes in the world all come together.”
Gaines echoed the public’s excitement for the 2024 Olympic Games, as the 2020 games in Tokyo, Japan, felt “empty” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think people are kind of starving again for the Olympic Games,” he said.
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/signed-michael-phelps-artwork-2008-beijing-olympics-unveiled-sale-first-time
