Jack Butler Yeats

Jack Yeats described Corinthians as ‘those noble supporters of the ring’. Here in this highly atmospheric early oil painting from 1910, Yeats portrays the solitary figure of the last Corinthian, wistful and elegiac; the gloves, a metaphor, from a recent bout hanging up in front of him, while the supporters are long gone. The poignant and nostalgic atmosphere is emphasised by its subtle tonality, the lone figure of faded glamour, recalling the glory years of times gone by.

The term Corinthian was used as a sobriquet in Regency times for a fashionable man about town, often a sportsman.

Born in London, Yeats delighted in the lively and rowdy atmosphere of the theatres, circuses, music halls and sporting events which were a mainstay of city life. In the 1890s he worked for sporting publications, developing his skill in capturing moments with quick and lively sketches.

The inspiration for the painting came from Yeats’ visits to Wonderland, an East End venue in Whitechapel which staged boxing matches from the 1890s until 1911, when it burnt down. It had a small 12-foot ring and was full with enthusiastic supporters most Saturday nights. Throughout his career, Yeats was drawn to strong characters, such as the Corinthian. Comparable compositions of similar figures include Race Card Seller (1909) and The Jockey (1910). These were some of the first oils Yeats painted as he made the move from watercolour.

The Last Corinthian was exhibited at the Allied Arts Association in London in 1910. The A.A.A. was founded in 1908 by the art critic Frank Rutter with the support of Walter Sickert, Lucien Pissarro, Spencer Gore and Wilson Steer. It was based on the Parisian Salon des Indépendants. It became a forum for the development of new ideas at a time when the Modernist movement was emerging, and became an important venue for both British and foreign artists.

The Last Corinthian would have confidently held its own amongst the progressive artists showing there. Sickert and Yeats had developed a friendship by this time; Sickert had admired Yeats’ ability to draw boxing scenes and held his work in high esteem, notably his placing of the human figure at the centre of the composition. Both artists shared a fascination with the life and bustle of the streets and the theatre and often choosing working men as subjects for their work.

The Last Corinthian was painted at a pivotal point in Yeats’ career. It was towards the end of 1910 that the artist made his permanent relocation to Ireland. Despite living an idyllic life in Devon, he had made up his mind to make his mark there ‘to possess or be possessed by it’ (Bruce Arnold, Jack Yeats, 1998, p.166).

It also anticipates the paintings that were to follow shortly after, particularly his seminal group of twelve figurative works that illustrated the book, Irishmen All, in 1913.

The Last Corinthian stayed with Yeats until 1942, a memory of his youth in London. It was then bought from him by John Whelan Dulanty (1883-1955), a friend of both Jack and William Yeats, George Bernard Shaw and James Joyce. Dulanty had a distinguished political career playing a central role in Irish and UK affairs. Following the declaration of a republic in 1949, Dulanty became the first Irish ambassador to the court of St. James.