Artwork
Counted Out, second stone
Counted Out, second stone is an ink print by George Bellows. It dates from 1921 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Counted Out, second stone is a 1921 lithograph by George Bellows, part of a series documenting urban boxing matches. Rendered in black ink, the print captures a decisive moment in a bout: one fighter lies prone on the canvas while the victor stands tall, arm raised by the referee. The composition emphasizes physical exertion and the abruptness of defeat, stripped of romanticism.
Subject & Meaning
The scene portrays the raw outcome of a professional fight, focusing on the instant of knockout rather than the build-up. The fallen boxer’s vulnerability contrasts with the victor’s rigid posture and the referee’s authoritative gesture. No spectators are individualized—instead, they form a blurred, restless mass, suggesting the crowd’s collective hunger for spectacle over personal connection.
Technique & Style
Bellows employed lithography to achieve bold contrasts and dynamic textures. Thick, expressive lines define the fighters’ musculature and the ring ropes, while the crowd is rendered in loose, smudged tones. The monochrome palette heightens the drama, using gradations of black to suggest depth and motion without color, aligning with early 20th-century printmaking’s emphasis on graphic power.
History & Provenance
Created in 1921, this print was one of several Bellows produced during a period when he focused on urban life and athletic contests. It was likely issued in a limited edition for art collectors and periodicals. The work entered institutional collections in the decades following its creation, reflecting its role in documenting American realism during the interwar years.
Context
In the early 1920s, boxing was both popular entertainment and a subject of moral debate. Bellows, drawn to its physicality and social undercurrents, depicted matches not as glorified contests but as visceral, unvarnished events. His prints responded to a broader cultural interest in realism, influenced by journalism and the rise of mass media imagery.
Legacy
Counted Out, second stone remains a key example of Bellows’s engagement with American labor and spectacle. It influenced later artists exploring the human body under stress and contributed to the legitimization of printmaking as a medium for social observation. Its starkness continues to inform depictions of athletic conflict in 20th-century visual culture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
George Wesley Bellows (August 12 or August 19, 1882 – January 8, 1925) was an American realist painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City.
