Jem Belcher
- Artist: Charles Allingham
- Date: circa 1800-1801
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 30 in. x 25 1/8 in. (762 mm x 638 mm)
- Portrays: James ('Jem') Belcher
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
In this oil portrait by Charles Allingham, we see Jem Belcher at about twenty, in the midst of a boxing career that made him famous across Britain. He looks directly ahead, head tilted slightly, eyes alert. The artist captures his trademark scarf—a spotted neckcloth that later earned its own name—around his neck, a distinctive flourish in Regency fashion. Allingham gives Belcher a relaxed pose, revealing the confident grin he carried into the ring. As the caption notes: “You heard his blows, you did not see them.”
See it in person
Jem Belcher is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
