Both Members of This Club
1909
George Bellows captures the raw, brutal energy of an illegal prizefight in this 1909 masterpiece. The title is a cheeky nod to a legal loophole: boxing was banned in New York at the time, so fighters joined the same private club just to legally beat each other up. Notice the grotesque, shadowy faces of the crowd eagerly cheering on the violence—it's a perfect snapshot of the gritty Ashcan School movement, which loved showing the ugly, unpolished side of city life. Today, this intense scene hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
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