Portrait of Ernie Stautner
Portrait of Ernie Stautner
Portrait of Ernie Stautner

Portrait of Ernie Stautner

Object number2017.65.8
Artist
Manufacturer
Date2007
MediumPencil; Paint(?); Paperboard; Ink; Adhesive
Credit LineGift of Arthur Joseph Rooney, Jr.
DescriptionBlack and white pencil drawing on rectangular white paperboard. Bust portrait of man in three-quarter view facing slightly proper right. Figure's gaze is slightly upward. Figure wears Pittsburgh Steelers football uniform with player number on chest. Painted(?) white, gray, and black background. White border around drawn image. Artist signature to the left of the figure's proper right shoulder. Reverse is green and two areas blue printed maker information (one is partial). Reverse has white retailer label in bottom right corner with black and red printed text and barcode.DimensionsHeight x Width x Depth: 20 × 15.125 × 0.125 in. (50.8 × 38.4 × 0.3 cm)
SignedArtist signature to the left of the figure's proper right shoulder "© KARCHNER 2007".
InscriptionsFigure wears football uniform with gray and white "70" on chest.
MarksReverse has blue printed text at top center "Crescent / ILLUSTRATION BOARD" and bottom center "Crescent / ILLUSTRATION BOARD / Hot Press Surface / No. 205 / Heavy Weight / A PRODUCT OF / CRESCENT CARDBOARD / COMPANY"; both areas of text are upside down.

Reverse has white label in bottom right corner with black and red printed text "PEARL / 30X40 HP ILLUS. BOARD / [barcode] / ..."
Historical NotesMore than 30 years ago, Art Rooney, Jr. and his wife Kay visited the Circle Art Gallery in San Diego, California. By the time they left, a new passion had been born. Unable to buy a seascape that had sold while they shopped, Rooney purchased a portrait instead. Painted by Merv Corning, the work featured Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver Isaac Curtis, a player Rooney admired. Over the next several years Rooney returned to the gallery while in San Diego on scouting trips or at Steelers’ games and bought more of Corning’s art. Eventually Corning called him, beginning a friendship and artistic partnership that lasted until the artist passed away in 2006. Rooney gradually transitioned from a buyer of art, to commissioning specific pieces. He began to collect what he knew and loved – paintings that depicted members of the great Steelers’ teams of the 1970s. Rooney had scouted many of these players and had come to know and respect them as athletes, but also as men. Over time Art Rooney’s collection has broadened to include pieces by two other artists and to represent his life, his work, and the special relationships he developed through football. Originally from Clearfield, Pa., Dennis Karchner began drawing as a young child. He studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. After years working in the screen-printing business, he returned to his first love, drawing and painting. Based in Cody, Wyoming, Karchner is known for his Western art, images of native peoples, cowboys, and even current outdoorsmen, such as the Steelers’ Brett Keisel. His pencil and oil renderings are rich in detail and use the raw, natural landscape of the West as a background. After seeing a portrait Karchner painted of broadcaster Curt Gowdy, Art Rooney Jr. contacted him. The two have worked together for the past six years to capture “the warriors” of the gridiron in paint. Label TextThough smaller than most defensive linemen in the 1950s, Stautner epitomized the Steelers ethos of tough, gritty play. He missed only six games in his 14 year career and anchored the team during some difficult seasons. Beloved by fans and ownership alike, his #70 is the only jersey the Steelers have formally retired.
Related person (1925 - 2006)
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