---
title: Book Throws Jab at Art of Black Boxers
date: 2024-09-06T13:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://terp.umd.edu/book-throws-jab-at-art-of-black-boxers"
section: Articles
---
# Book Throws Jab at Art of Black Boxers

*September 6, 2024* — by [Sala Levin ’10](/authors/sala-levin-10)


- *Painting: George Bellows, “Both Members of This Club,” 1909, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.*
- *“Heavyweight” book courtesy of Duke University Press*
- *Portrait courtesy of Jordana Moore Saggese*

> Researcher Reveals How Stereotypes Were Reinforced

*Boxers in ring*

In George Bellows’ famous 1909 painting, “Both Members of This Club” (above), two prizefighters—one white, one Black—are locked in an intense struggle. The Black boxer looks to be winning, his powerful back curving over his white opponent, whose face and arms drip blood.

Though many art historians and critics have considered the artwork a daring representation of a victorious Black fighter, a new book by Jordana Moore Saggese argues that the painting—whose original title contained a racist slur—reflects widespread fears about Black people.


*Jordana Moore Saggese headshot*


*Heavyweight book*




**Issue:** [Fall 2024](https://terp.umd.edu/editions/fall-2024)


**Types:** [Campus Life](https://terp.umd.edu/category/campus-life)