Dempsey And Firpo 1923 - 1924

This is George Bellows’ image, "Dempsey and Firpo," and it's probably a lithograph, making the most of shades of gray. It's all about the process, as each mark and gesture builds up this chaotic scene, full of movement and punch. What strikes me is how Bellows uses the lithographic crayon to create this incredible sense of texture. Look at the way he renders the crowd, a sea of faces blurred and indistinct. Then, your eye catches a detail in the ropes of the ring or the sweat on the boxer’s bodies. The whiteness and brightness around the central figures illuminate the brutality of this struggle. It reminds me of some of Goya's darker works, a similar interest in the raw, visceral aspects of human experience. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be pretty; it can be a mirror reflecting back the intensity of life. Art is an open conversation.