Object Details
Artist
James Montgomery Flagg, 18 Jun 1877 - 27 May 1960
Sitter
Jack Dempsey, 24 Jun 1895 - 31 May 1983
Jess Willard, 29 Dec 1881 - 15 Dec 1968
Exhibition Label
Born Pottawatomie County, Kansas
On July 4, 1919, Jack Dempsey met reigning champ Jess Willard in an eagerly awaited bout for the heavyweight championship of the world. Dempsey was a decided underdog; Willard was five inches taller and fifty-eight pounds heavier than his opponent and considered unbeatable. Yet when the two boxers met before a capacity crowd, the contest was brief and brutal. In the opening round, Dempsey (in white trunks) unleashed a torrent of punishing blows that felled Willard seven times. By the end of round three, Willard was finished, and Dempsey was the new champion.
More than twenty years later, Dempsey commissioned James Montgomery Flagg to commemorate the historic upset. When the painting was unveiled at Jack Dempsey’s Broadway restaurant in 1944, Willard was notably absent. He wired Dempsey: “Sorry I can’t be there. But I saw enough of you 25 years ago to last me a lifetime.”
Nacido en Pottawatomie County, Kansas
El 4 de julio de 1919, Jack Dempsey se enfrentó al campeón reinante Jess Willard en una esperada lucha por el campeonato mundial de peso completo. Dempsey tenía las de perder ante el invencible Willard, quien le llevaba cinco pulgadas de alto y pesaba 58 libras más. No obstante, cuando los púgiles se enfrentaron en un recinto abarrotado, la pelea fue breve y brutal. En el primer asalto, Dempsey (con calzón blanco) desató un torrente de golpes que tumbaron a Willard siete veces. Al final del tercer asalto Willard estaba acabado, y Dempsey se coronó campeón.
Más de 20 años después, Dempsey encargó a James Montgomery Flagg una conmemoración de la histórica pelea. Cuando en 1944 se develó la pintura en el restaurante de Dempsey en Broadway, fue notable la ausencia Willard, quien envió a Dempsey un telegrama: “Siento no poder asistir. Te vi hace 25 años y me bastó para toda la vida”.
Provenance
Commissioned by Jack Dempsey 1944 for his restaurant, New York; donated 1974 by Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Dempsey
Date
1944
Object number
NPG.74.43
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Cathy O'Brien
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
177.8cm x 584.2cm (70" x 230"), Accurate
Frame: 201.9 x 605.8 x 14cm (79 1/2 x 238 1/2 x 5 1/2")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition
American Winners: Athletes and Entertainers Who Shaped the Nation
On View
NPG, West Gallery 240
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Costume\Headgear\Hat
Equipment\Smoking Implements\Cigar
Costume\Headgear\Hat\Cap
Equipment\Sports Equipment\Boxing glove
Equipment\Smoking Implements\Cigarette
Exterior\Sports arena
Symbols & Motifs\Flag
Jess Willard: Male
Jess Willard: Sports\Athlete\Boxer
Jack Dempsey: Male
Jack Dempsey: Sports\Athlete\Boxer
Jack Dempsey: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Proprietor\Restaurateur
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.74.43