FREED SLAVE TURNED BOXER, ATTRIBUTED PORTRAIT OF TOM MOLINEAUX,

FREED SLAVE TURNED BOXER, ATTRIBUTED PORTRAIT OF TOM MOLINEAUX, (image 1/2)
FREED SLAVE TURNED BOXER, ATTRIBUTED PORTRAIT OF TOM MOLINEAUX, (image 2/2)
Pricing & History
English, first quarter 19th century, oil on canvas. A half length portrait of a seated black gentleman, dressed in grey jacket with floral vest. Housed in later frame with interior gilt lining; measuring 23.5" high x 19.5" wide (sight). Oral family history suggests this portrait depicts Tom Molineaux (1784-1818), a Virginia slave who gained his freedom boxing for his plantation owner. Molineaux later moved to England, the epicenter of professional boxing in the early 19th century. He was tutored and trained by Bill Richmond (1763-1829), "The Black Terror", a self-trained boxer and also a freed American slave. After continued success, Molineaux challenged the English title holder, Tom Cribb (1781-1848) in 1810. By all accounts, Molineaux proved impressive even with size disadvantages, and the fight was a wildly contested battle, with the crowd pushing into the ring during a lengthy tangle. Molineaux lost in the 35th round due to a hand injury deriving from the crowd's charge. A year later, the rematch between the two fighters did not meet expectations. Molineaux had apparently trained little, drank heavily, lost weight and ignored Richmond's regimen, and was knocked out in the 11th round. Molineaux died impoverished and suffering from liver failure in 1818. Several variables contribute to the attribution to Molineaux. First, the portrait read more
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