Both Members of This Club Bellows, George Wesley (1882-1925) American painting Athletic clubs Sports Boxing The title of Both Members of This Club refers to the practice of granting “membership” to boxers only for the duration of their bouts. Bellows indicated his low opinion of the elitist crowd by converting them into grotesque caricatures roaring approval of the bloodshed. Creating a sense of immediacy, three rows of spectators block off our view, and the ringside ropes loom overhead.The location is Tom Sharkey’s Athletic Club. (Sharkey’s is also the setting for Bellows’ Club Night of 1907 in the National Gallery, the first of his six oil paintings of boxing matches.) The black contestant is Joe Gans, lightweight champion for eight years. Gans’ famous “right punch after blocking a lead” may have led Bellows to record that maneuver for its own sake. 1909 CE Digital Jpeg2000, 1.26 MB Oil on Canvas, 115 x 160.5 cm (45 1/4 x 63 1/8 in.) Wang0372 American modern, Ashcan School, 20th century American Washington, D.C., United States Kathleen Cohen
Both Members of This Club
Bellows, George Wesley (1882-1925)
American painting
Athletic clubs
Sports
Boxing
The title of Both Members of This Club refers to the practice of granting “membership” to boxers only for the duration of their bouts. Bellows indicated his low opinion of the elitist crowd by converting them into grotesque caricatures roaring approval of the bloodshed. Creating a sense of immediacy, three rows of spectators block off our view, and the ringside ropes loom overhead.The location is Tom Sharkey’s Athletic Club. (Sharkey’s is also the setting for Bellows’ Club Night of 1907 in the National Gallery, the first of his six oil paintings of boxing matches.) The black contestant is Joe Gans, lightweight champion for eight years. Gans’ famous “right punch after blocking a lead” may have led Bellows to record that maneuver for its own sake.
1909 CE
Digital
Jpeg2000, 1.26 MB
Oil on Canvas, 115 x 160.5 cm (45 1/4 x 63 1/8 in.)
Wang0372
American modern, Ashcan School, 20th century American
Washington, D.C., United States
Kathleen Cohen