
The White Hope
1921
- Medium
- lithograph
- Dimensions
- 37.2 × 48 cm
- Status
- In Museum Collection
- Collect24 Art ID
- C24-203767
After Jack Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight champion in 1908, a series of boxing promoters searched for a “Great White Hope” who could dethrone him. Analyzing the facial features of the two fighters in this print, some scholars believe its subject commemorates Johnson’s victory over former champion James J. Jeffries in 1910. The outcome of this proclaimed “fight of the century” sparked racially motivated riots in more than 50 cities across 25 states, leaving 20 people dead. Whether or not The White Hope can be associated with a specific bout, Bellows’s image undercu…
Provenance
Hanna Jr., 1936.644
Registry history
- 1921 — Recorded in the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art — prints
Registered on Collect24
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