Thursday, May 29, 2014

World Cup '74 Portrait #68 (Ronnie Hellström: Sweden)




graphite & putty eraser, with watercolour pencil/30x21cm

It’s quite a sobering consideration that what will follow apparently constitutes the blog’s 800th post, over the course of its current eight & a half years' life, but at least such a milestone is represented by a drawing of one of the very few players’ names that actually registered at the time of my exposure to the televised coverage of the 1974 World Cup, the legendary Ronnie Hellström, Sweden’s goalkeeper throughout all six of their matches at the tournament & who also was selected for inclusion in both the FKS & Panini collectors’ sticker albums prior to the event.
Previously, Hellström, an archetypal stylistic ‘Mr 70s’ with his moustache & expansive sideburns, had appeared in a match at Mexico 1970 & would go on to play at Argentina 1978: a true World Cup icon, appropriately celebrated. 



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