COOPERSTOWN, N.Y., Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National
Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is adding to its art collection
with the donation of a portrait depicting one of the sport's most
famous players. "Babe Ruth" by Rossin, a 72-inch x 60-inch oil on
canvas, uniquely captures the athlete during his early years with
the New York Yankees.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121001/CL84559 )
The painting was commissioned and donated to the Hall of Fame by national lease-to-own retailer
Aaron's, Inc. in commemoration of opening its milestone
2,000th store Friday in the Bronx. Joe
Torre, a legendary baseball manager and Major League
Baseball's Executive Vice President for baseball operations,
attended the grand opening event as Aaron's special guest and
officially unveiled the portrait during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Erik Strohl, Senior Director of
Exhibitions and Collections for the Hall of Fame, was on hand at the event to
accept the portrait.
"We are thrilled by Aaron's donation of this extraordinary
portrait, which is incredibly lifelike and unique," Strohl said.
"Babe Ruth is globally known as one of baseball's most popular
figures that ever lived, and we always welcome new ways to pay
tribute to his legacy. This portrait is especially appealing in how
it portrays 'The Babe' as a young man, early in his career, in full
color detail. Most photographs of Ruth are not only in black and
white, but depict him later in his career. Babe Ruth comes to life
in this portrait in a way we've never seen before, a testament to
the wonderful work by the artist. You really have to see it to
believe it."
Aaron's commissioned the painting by internationally acclaimed
portrait artist Rossin, recognized for his lifelike pieces of world
leaders including U.S. Presidents, Britain's royal family and celebrities.
"On the occasion of opening our 2,000th store in
New York City, we wanted to do
something meaningful for the local community," said Ronald W. Allen, CEO and President of Aaron's.
"Yankees baseball is obviously close to the hearts of New York residents, and we wanted to give them
a rare opportunity to be among the first to see this spectacular
painting of Babe Ruth, up close and in person, before it finds its
permanent home at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Rossin's portraits are of the highest caliber, and we are extremely
pleased the Hall of Fame is
accepting our donation of the painting as the newest addition to
its historic collection of baseball art."
A replica of the painting will continue to hang in the Bronx
Aaron's store located at 3254 White Plains Road. For more
information on the Baseball Hall of Fame, please
visit www.baseballhall.org.
About Aaron's, Inc.
Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), the nation's leader in the sales
and lease ownership and specialty retailing of residential
furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories,
has 2,000 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and
Canada. Founded in 1955 by
entrepreneur and Chairman Emeritus R.
Charles Loudermilk, Sr. and headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's has been publicly traded
since 1982. For more information, visit www.aarons.com.
About the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is open seven
days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. The Museum observes regular hours
of 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. from
Labor Day until Memorial Day Weekend. From Memorial Day through the day before Labor Day, the Museum is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week. Ticket
prices are $19.50 for adults (13 and
over), $12 for seniors (65 and over)
and for those holding current memberships in the VFW, Disabled
American Veterans, American Legion and AMVets organizations, and
$7 for juniors (ages 7-12). Members
are always admitted free of charge and there is no charge for
children 6 years of age or younger. For more information,
visit our Web site at baseballhall.org or call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633) or
607-547-7200.
About the Artist, Rossin
Rossin, an internationally renowned artist who has
exhibited extensively in Europe
and Asia, moved to Atlanta from his native Bulgaria in 2001. His focus on portraiture has
gained him a reputation for his extraordinary talent. Noted
commissions include a portrait of Presidents George H. and
George W. Bush which hangs in the
Presidential Library in College Station,
Texas; a portrait of Ambassador Andrew Young which now resides in the permanent
collection of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery; his
portrait of President Jimmy Carter
is exhibited in the Carter Presidential Library and Museum;
Morgan Freeman's portrait is now
part of his private collection in his residence in
Mississippi; a portrait of King
George VI is property of Her Majesty
Queen Elisabeth II and his portrait of Vivien Leigh as Scarlett is part of Ted Turner's private collection. To learn more
about Rossin, visit www.RossinFineArt.com.
SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.