Ernie Barnes (American, 1938-2009). Anchor Leg, 1983. Acrylic on canvas. 36 x 48 inches (91.4 x 121.9 cm). Signed lower ...

Description

Ernie Barnes (American, 1938-2009)
Anchor Leg, 1983
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 48 inches (91.4 x 121.9 cm)
Signed lower right: Ernie Barnes

Masterworks of Sport and Spirit: Property from the Collection of John W. Mecom Jr.

PROVENANCE:
The artist;
Acquired by the present owner from the above, 1983.

Ernie Barnes's Anchor Leg from 1983 is a masterclass in visualizing athletic intensity-an image as much about form and force as it is about rhythm and reverence. The painting captures six sprinters at the climactic moment of a relay race, bodies compressed in explosive forward motion. Rendered in Barnes's signature elongated style, the figures nearly burst from the frame. Were they to stand upright, their limbs would extend beyond the canvas's edge, emphasizing the sheer magnitude of their drive and physical presence.

This dynamic style reflects a deep and early-rooted fascination with the body in motion. Raised in Durham, North Carolina, Barnes was introduced to art, music, and history through Frank Fuller Jr., a prominent attorney who employed his mother, Fannie Geer. From these early exposures, Barnes developed an affinity for the Old Masters-especially Rubens and Michelangelo-whose portrayals of the human form, muscular and "spirit-filled," would echo in his own work. He absorbed their ability to imbue flesh with feeling and fused it with his lived experience as an athlete, creating a personal visual language grounded in both physicality and grace.

Barnes went on to play professionally in the NFL from 1960 to 1964, suiting up for the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. This first-hand knowledge of exertion, rhythm, and teamwork translated directly into his artistic practice. His figures-long-limbed, sinuous, and always in motion-transcend static realism. Whether sprinting, dancing, or even standing still, they hum with internal energy. As Barnes once noted, "movement is what I wanted to capture on canvas more than anything else; I can't stand a static canvas" (This Is My Art, YouTube, July 28, 2011).

Anchor Leg is an embodiment of that ethos. Barnes's figures are sculptural yet fluid, their bodies contorted in choreographed synchronicity. Arms arc back in propulsion, torsos twist to stabilize, and legs dominate the foreground with visceral energy. Heads tilt downward, eyes squeezed shut, mouths open-each runner is fully absorbed in the strain and transcendence of motion. The compression of the composition in the immediate foreground heightens the immediacy of the race, and Barnes's mastery lies in his ability to translate tension into elegance, strain into grace.

Though grounded in the very real world of competitive sport, Anchor Leg reaches beyond it. Barnes ennobles his athletes, presenting their performance as something both earthly and exalted. He glorifies the body not merely for its strength or speed, but for its disciplined harmony-its capacity to harmonize mind, muscle, and motion. His runners are not simply racing. They are transcending.

Anchor Leg is included in the forthcoming Ernie Barnes catalogue raisonné. We thank Luz Rodriguez for her assistance cataloguing this work.


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