Jem Wharton
- Artist: William Daniels
- Date: 1839
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 13 7/8 in. x 10 3/4 in. (352 mm x 273 mm) overall
- Portrays: James ('Jem') Wharton
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
“This is “Jem Wharton,” painted by the Liverpool artist William Daniels in 1839. The canvas, a modest 13¾ inches by 10⅜ inches, holds a quiet moment. The boxer sits at his training station, mid‑pause, as if he’s just taken a breath between blows. Around his waist, the bright “colours” of his latest victory are tied in a band that frames his head and shoulders. His gloves are on display – early portraits like this show gloves only in practice, before they became mandatory for fights later in the century.
Wharton himself was one of Britain’s most successful boxers of the 1830s. He won his first bare‑knuckle bout in 1833 and retired undefeated in 1840. After fighting he turned to training, promoting matches, and even ran a tavern in Liverpool. He claimed Moroccan birth but records list London as his birthplace.
The painting captures that brief pause – the sweat on his brow, the steady rhythm of training, and the pride of a champion celebrating victory. It gives us a glimpse into early 19th‑century boxing culture, where gloves were still a training tool rather than a compulsory gear in official bouts.”
See it in person
Jem Wharton 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.
