Early 20th Century boxing illustrations by renowned artist Arthur Sheppard.

Fascinating history… Fantastic value.

Title: “The Foul Blow” and “Sayers and Heenan.”
Artist: Arthur Sheppard.
Date of Creation: circa 1930s.
Type of Artwork: Impressionist figurative.
Materials & Techniques: Mixed-media (pen and ink/watercolor) on paper.
Dimensions: Both works measure approximately 24.5" high by 31" wide (paper) and 20.5” high by 27” wide (image).

Condition and additional Value Characteristics: Each is signed by the artist, “Arthur Sheppard,” in the lower right-hand corner of the composition and features hand-drawn, black ink borders and titles. “The Foul Blow” sports a secondary signature by the artist, in pencil, within the lower-right margin of the piece beneath its hand-drawn border.

There are no visible flaws within the compositions: the colors are vivid and crisp and the paper is free of wrinkles, punctures and stains. However, both works were affixed to their backing boards with non-conservational tape and there is some yellowing evident within their borders. “The Foul Blow” also has minor surface tearing in the paper at two locations within the work’s border where a portion of the tape affixing the piece to the backing board has been removed. Neither disturb the composition, but the tear in the lower-right partially penetrates the first name in Mr. Sheppard’s secondary pencil signature.

"The Foul Blow" Detail

“Sayers and Heenan” Detail

Provenance: Painted in the 1930s following Mr. Sheppard’s esteemed career as artist, illustrator and set designer for the Metropolitan Opera in NY and Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. Both depict 19th century bare-fisted boxing matches and the raucous crowds surrounding them. “Sayers and Heenan” showcases the April 17th, 1860 Championship match between American John Carmel Heenan and Tom Sayers of England. The outdoor fight, which took place in Farmborough, lasted 37 rounds and over two-hours before finally being called a draw. “The Foul Blow” features an indoor bout (inside an opera house), and highlights the chaos both in and out of the ring following a debilitating foul blow landed against one of the contestants.
 
The paintings were originally owned by Las Vegas casino mogul and Golden Nugget founder, Guy McAfee, and featured within the El Rancho Hotel and Casino before it was destroyed by fire in 1960.
 
Arthur Sheppard (1875-1954):
 
Born in Kent, England in 1875, Arthur Sheppard entered the South Kensington Art School at the age of twelve. As a teenager, he traveled to the United States where he settled in NYC and painted scenery for the Metropolitan Opera. Around the turn of the century, Sheppard had studios in Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles--where he worked for Paramount Studios for eight years. During the 1920s, he traveled extensively while studying art in Paris, London, and Rome. Eventually Returning to Hollywood, he concentrated on portraiture and depictions of famous boxing matches.
Notable exhibits of Mr. Sheppard’s artwork have occurred at the Royal Academy in London and the Paris Salon.