Artwork Page for Preliminaries

Details / Information for Preliminaries

Preliminaries

1916

George Bellows

(American, 1882–1925)
Culture
America
Medium
lithograph
Measurements
Image: 40 x 49.6 cm (15 3/4 x 19 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Leonard C. Hanna Jr. 1936.642
Catalogue raisonné
Mason 24
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

By 1916, the year Bellows created Preliminaries, boxing was legal in New York and had begun attracting audiences beyond its usual working-class, male demographic. Relegating the ensuing match to the background, this print focuses on a group of wealthy spectators who arrive to take their seats in Madison Square Garden. According to the artist’s widow, the subject was occasioned by the first bout in New York to which women were permitted to attend.
A horizontally oriented lithograph in black ink depicts a crowd gathered in a dark arena for a boxing match. In the background, two boxers spar in a ring under a bright light. The middle ground features standing spectators, including a man in a tuxedo and top hat and a woman in a dark dress glancing back. Foreground spectators are obscured by shadow, and handwritten text runs along the bottom edge.

Preliminaries

1916

George Bellows

(American, 1882–1925)
America

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork