Dempsey and Firpo

Bellows, George, 1882-1925 · 1923–1924

A drawing was made of this contest for the New York Journal. The lithograph was a subsequent treatment of the famous bout. Bellows described this fight as the most exciting and dramatic of all his experience. (Bellows) / The "Manassa Mauler" and the "Bull of the Pampas" (Jack Dempsey and Luis Firpo) fought at the Polo Grounds in New York, September 14, 1923, before 82,000 spectators. Dempsey had regained his popularity in the two years since his victory over Carpentier (see "Introducing Georges Carpentier," M. 98), and his fans anticipated a bloody fight between the Champion and the aggressive Argentinian. In the frantic first round Firpo was knocked down seven times but he managed to send Dempsey flying through the ropes into the press box. An historic controversy involved the legality of Dempsey's being boosted back into the ring. George Bellows can be seen in the confusion of the crowd in the lower left corner of the lithograph, enjoying the most dramatic moment of the fight. Dempsey recovered and knocked out Firpo in the second round. A photographic facsimile was made of this print during World War II. A representative of the U.S. Armed Forces requested that the Metropolitan Museum of Art select a subject and reproduce it in a small edition for distribution to hospitals and camps for the enjoyment of the servicemen. The facsimile is an inch smaller than the original and has identifying markings on the front bottom margin and on the verso. (Mason)