The Old Print Shop

A Stag at Sharkey's.

  • ARTIST: George Bellows

  • MEDIUM: Lithograph,

    DATE: 1917.

  • EDITION SIZE: Edition 99. Image size 18 7/16 x 23 13/16" (47 x 60.6 cm).

  • DESCRIPTION: “A Stag at Sharkey’s” is George Bellows most famous lithograph, and one of his finest oil paintings. He painted the subject in 1909 and used the painting for inspiration for the lithograph in 1917. The oil is in the Cleveland Museum of Art. <BR><BR> George Bellows devoted a lot of time to capturing boxing images in the fight clubs of the day. The boxing images continue to be the most sough-after images the artist created. <BR><BR> The setting is Tom Sharkey’s club located on Columbus Avenue near 67th Street. George Bellows at the time had a studio nearby in the Lincoln Arcade building. <BR><BR> Thomas “Sailor Tom” Sharkey was a retired heavyweight boxer best known for his two famous bouts with James J. Jeffries. He opened his club in New York City because in 1900 New York prohibited professional boxing matches - but he found a loophole. If there was not a charge for the boxing match than it was not a professional boxing match. Therefore Sharkey started a club and you paid membership to be a member of the club. It is known that Bellows frequented Sharkey’s so he must have been a member. When an outside boxer came into the club he also had to be a member and was given temporary membership and labeled a STAG. <BR><BR>

  • ADDITIONAL INFO: Printed on china paper.

  • CONDITION: Good condition, a brilliant impression. There is some staining in the outer upper right margin corner, and a tear in the outer left margin. Both are not near the image area.

  • REFERENCE: Mason #46.