ARTISTS AND SPORTS
Sport, the great common denominator, has long affected the lives and works of men. Emperors have enjoyed the companionship of their huntsmen in the chase, and intellectuals have found in competitive events a common language with the man in the street. In fine arts, too, the pursuit of sport has served as a blending agent of creative imagination and popular appeal, and with this premise SI has assembled, in cooperation with the American Federation of Arts, a SPORT IN ART collection of top-rank works that will be exhibited in museums throughout the country during this coming Olympic year. On these pages are selections from the show, which is now at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The 102 paintings, drawings, and prints in the exhibit range from a Goya etching to semi-abstractions of today. In subject they range from highly organized sports like boxing to the completely relaxed pastime of fishing. Many of the artists have themselves been men of action. Vlaminck (opposite page) was once a professional bicycle racer, the late George Bellows was a semipro baseball player, Goya was once a bullfighter's assistant. Common to them all is love of sports, the inspiration which impelled each, in his own fashion, to creation.
ILLUSTRATION
PERLS GALLERY, NEW YORK
"CHATOU LA NUIT" BY MAURICE VLAMINCK, FRENCH CONTEMPORARY PAINTER
ILLUSTRATION
GARBISCH COLLECTION, NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON, D.C.
"BARE KNUCKLES" BY GEORGE A. HAYES. 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN PRIMITIVE
ILLUSTRATION
BEN SHAHN
"NATIONAL PASTIME" BY BEN SHAHN
ILLUSTRATION
"SWINGING" BY LEONA PIERCE
ILLUSTRATION
GEORGE BELLOWS
"SPLINTER BEACH" BY GEORGE BELLOWS
ILLUSTRATION
HONORE DAUMIER
"LES BAIGNEUSES" BY HONORE DAUMIER