Murphy, Philadelphia, American League, from the White Border series (T206) for the American Tobacco Company 1909 - 1911

This vintage baseball card of Murphy, Philadelphia, from the American Tobacco Company, it's like a little painting, a snapshot of a moment in time. Look at the subtle way that the colors blend together. I can imagine the artist carefully selecting each hue, mixing them just so to capture the feel of the stadium, the energy of the game. What were they thinking as they made the work? Did they feel any pressure to make it? Any sense of the great painterly tradition they were joining? The blue of the sky, the green of the field, and the flesh tones of Murphy’s face are all built up with these little strokes of paint. Together, the simple shapes and colors give us a sense of place, and the figure of the baseball player becomes a dynamic presence. You feel like you can almost hear the crack of the bat and smell the freshly cut grass. So cool.