Richard Humphreys- the Boxer 

John Hoppner painted this portrait of Richard Humphreys, the boxer, in oil on canvas sometime in the late 18th century. Boxing was a popular sport in Britain at the time, but was also seen as a rather uncouth pursuit. It's therefore interesting to see how Hoppner has presented Humphreys. He is set against a dramatic landscape, almost like a classical hero. The pose is dynamic, and the body is idealized, all of which elevates Humphreys beyond the status of a mere pugilist. Hoppner was known for his portraits of fashionable society figures, many of whom were patrons of the arts. It's likely that this portrait was commissioned by someone keen to celebrate a sporting hero and, perhaps, to lend a little glamour to the sport itself. As art historians, we must consult a variety of resources to fully understand an artwork such as this, from contemporary newspaper reports to the records of the Royal Academy, where Hoppner exhibited. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.