Prize Fighter and his Lady
Jared French, American, 1905 - 1988
about 1936
Etching on laid paper
25
Plate: 5 9/16 × 7 5/16 in. (14.2 × 18.6 cm)
Sheet: 7 7/8 × 9 1/8 in. (20 × 23.2 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Gift of Ilse Martha Bischoff
PR.950.32.8
Geography
Place Made: United States, North America
Period
20th century
Object Name
Research Area
On view
Inscriptions
Signed, in graphite, lower right margin: Jared French; inscribed, in graphite, lower center: Prizefighter & His Lady $9.00 - edition 25 Jared French 5 St Luke's Pl NYC; reverse, stamped, in black ink, lower left: DARTMOUTH COLLEGE / DEPT. OF ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Label
For many athletic pursuits, there is a prize to be won. This print suggests that for male athletes, one of the most sought-after rewards was the adulation of women. Presumably after a win in the boxing ring, this prize fighter enjoys a celebratory drink with his lady. The second woman behind the boxer suggests that his athletic prowess has attracted multiple admirers. Hypermasculinity and sexuality were, and are, often celebrated in representations of male athletes, placing them in positions of power denied to women athletes.
How does this work frame the expected identity and behaviors of a male athlete? How are expectations and perceptions of male athletes different from those of female athletes?
From the 2024 exhibition, A Space for Dialogue 117, Sports Culture: Gender, Belonging, and Nationhood, Madyson Buchalski '24, Conroy Intern
Exhibition History
A Space for Dialogue 117, Sports Culture: Gender, Belonging, and Nationhood, Madyson Buchalski '24, Conroy Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, March 9 - May 5, 2024
Provenance
Ilse Martha Bischoff (1901-1990), Hartland, Vermont; given to present collection, 1950.
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