George Bellows

George Bellows was a well-known American realist painter and printmaker from the Ashcan School. His skill in lithography resulted in prints with the depth and richness of a charcoal sketch. Bellows's depictions of boxing scenes convey the athleticism of the boxers and the tense atmosphere of the matches. This fine lithograph depicts the historic boxing match between American Jack Dempsey and Luis Ángel Firpo from Argentina which took place on September 14, 1923 in New York. This was the first time that a Latin American fighter had challenged for the world heavyweight title, and it was one of the defining fights of Dempsey's career. Bellows was assigned by the New York Evening Journal to make sketches of the bout, and sat ringside sketching. In this dramatic scene, the artist depicts the moment after Firpo landed a right to Dempsey's chin, causing him to fall out of the ring. The slow count by the referee while Dempsey was assisted back to the ring led many to claim that Firpo should have won by knockout. The artist has included himself in the lower left corner of the print, lending a sense of immediacy to the action. The shocking fall leading to this contentious situation was skillfully illustrated by Bellows, and conveys the energy and tension of the moment.