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Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth
Usage Conditions Apply
Artist
William Auerbach-Levy, 1889 - 1964
Sitter
George Herman ("Babe") Ruth, 6 Feb 1895 - 17 Aug 1948
Date
c. 1929
Type
Drawing
Medium
Gouache, graphite and ink on paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 28 × 21.7 cm (11 × 8 9/16")
Mount: 30.5 × 22.2 cm (12 × 8 3/4")
Mat: 45.7 x 35.6 cm (18 x 14")
Topic
George Herman ("Babe") Ruth: Male
George Herman ("Babe") Ruth: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball
Portrait
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Object number
NPG.89.99
Exhibition Label
In this caricature by William Auerbach-Levy, whose drawings appeared in newspapers and magazines like The New Yorker, Esquire, and Collier’s, the trademark pinstripes on Babe Ruth’s jersey and pants were an accurate depiction of the Yankees uniform. Even the artist’s exaggeration of Ruth’s top-heavy physique was a credible depiction of the slugger, who stood six feet, two inches and weighed approximately 210 pounds at his ideal weight (which he rarely maintained). While Ruth’s spindly legs were vulnerable to soreness and injury, especially in his later years as a player, he had enough upper-body strength to keep hitting home runs into the stands until his retirement at age forty.
En esta caricatura de William Auerbach-Levy, cuyos dibujos se publicaban en periódicos y revistas como The New Yorker, Esquire y Collier’s, las típicas rayas de la camiseta y los pantalones de Babe Ruth imitan con precisión el uniforme de los Yankees. Incluso resulta creíble que el artista exagere las amplias proporciones de la parte superior del cuerpo, pues el bateador medía seis pies dos pulgadas y pesaba unas 210 libras en su punto ideal (que rara vez mantenía). Si bien sus piernas delgaduchas lo hacían propenso a dolores y lesiones, sobre todo en sus últimos años de carrera, la fuerza de su tronco le bastó para seguir enviando jonrones a las gradas hasta los cuarenta años, cuando se retiró.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Location
Currently not on view