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Bill Tilden and George Herman "Babe" Ruth

Portrait Gallery

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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Object Details

Artist

Charles Verschuuren, 1891 - 1955

Sitter

William Tatem Tilden, Jr., 10 Feb 1893 - 5 Jun 1953
George Herman ("Babe") Ruth, 6 Feb 1895 - 17 Aug 1948

Exhibition Label

Charles Verschuuren’s caricature of tennis great Bill Tilden (1893–1953) and Babe Ruth evokes the art deco iconography of the Jazz Age in the 1920s. Verschuuren emigrated from the Netherlands to New York City in 1922 and became the cover artist for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle’s Sunday magazine.
Other contemporary athletes who excelled in their sports included boxer Jack Dempsey, golfer Bobby Jones, tennis champion Helen Wills, and Notre Dame’s legendary football coach, Knute Rockne. Their likenesses were widely circulated in newspapers and on magazine covers, indicative of society’s growing interest in the lives of celebrities during the 1920s.
La caricatura del gran tenista Bill Tilden (1893–1953) y Babe Ruth hecha por Charles Verschuuren evoca la iconografía art déco de la era del jazz en los años veinte. Verschuuren emigró de los Países Bajos a la ciudad de New York en 1922 y trabajó como ilustrador de portadas para la revista dominical del Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
Entre otros atletas del momento que sobresalieron en sus respectivos deportes están el boxeador Jack Dempsey, el golfista Bobby Jones, la tenista campeona Helen Wills y el legendario entrenador de fútbol de Notre Dame, Knute Rockne. Sus retratos se difundían ampliamente en los periódicos y portadas de revistas, reflejando el creciente interés de la sociedad en la vida de las celebridades durante la década de 1920.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Date

1926

Object number

NPG.98.136

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Drawing

Medium

Gouache on illustration board (Bainbridge board)

Dimensions

Image: 33.0 x 27.0 cm. (13 x 10 5/8")
Board: 36.2 x 30.8 cm. (14 1/4 x 12 1/8")

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Location

Currently not on view

Data Source

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Costume\Dress Accessory\Eyeglasses\Monocle
Equipment\Sports Equipment\Baseball Equipment\Baseball bat
William Tatem Tilden, Jr.: Male
William Tatem Tilden, Jr.: Sports\Athlete\Tennis
George Herman ("Babe") Ruth: Male
George Herman ("Babe") Ruth: Sports\Athlete\Baseball
Portrait

Metadata Usage

Not determined

Link to Original Record

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4f1d67808-9861-47bc-b10d-93152ce3f440

Record ID

npg_NPG.98.136

Discover More

2c Sesquicentennial Exposition single with the Liberty Bell

1926: A Year in the Collections

Babe Ruth at Yankee Stadium

Preserving Baseball History: Art, Artifacts, and Memorabilia

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