KEITH VAUGHAN (1912-1977)

Vaughan made several gouaches of boxers during the early 1950s. The physicality involved in dancing and boxing equally fascinated him, since each discipline require extraordinary qualities of gracefulness and strength. Furthermore, both dancer and boxer were required to move through space, partially naked but with a sense of vitality, balance and control. During the 1950s Vaughan began a long-term affair with an amateur boxer and criminal called Johnny Walsh which, no doubt, further fuelled his interest in the sport.

In the present work, a young, sinuous boxer flexes his bicep. On the one hand he may be washing himself in a shower after a after a bout in the ring. However, the small stage-like configuration (including the curtain at the left) also lends the image a certain theatricality.

The youth’s torso is described in block-like applications of ochre, white and blue-grey pigment by way of emphasising his muscularity. This formalised brushwork, a typical feature of Vaughan’s use of the stiffer medium of oil paint, lends the male form a distinct sense of solidity in this gouache.

We are very grateful to Gerard Hastings for preparing this catalogue entry.