The William Roberts Society

William Roberts:

Sam Rabin versus Black Eagle

Illustration © The Estate of John David Roberts. Reproduced with the permission of the William Roberts Society. Catalogue information based on the catalogue raisonné by David Cleall. For this and full details of the exhibitions cited, see the links below.

Sam Rabin versus Black Eagle, 1934 (signed and dated)
Oil on canvas, 43.5 cm x 33.3 cm

'Sam Rabin, a painter and sculptor trained at the Slade School, has always been interested in boxing and wrestling and at one time represented Great Britain in the Olympic Games. William Roberts first knew him as an artist, then met him again later on when he went to watch all-in wrestling matches. Sam Rabin had an exhibition of paintings at the Leicester Galleries in 1960, mainly boxing subjects' – Tate Gallery 1965 catalogue, p. 16
PROVENANCE: Stephen Tennant > Sir Edward Marsh > Contemporary Art Society (1953) > National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (1954)
EXHIBITION HISTORY: Lefevre Gallery 1935, Bath 1935, Leeds 1938, CEMA tour 1942, Tate Gallery 1965