Hemy Painting - Sunderland v Aston Villa 1895

The Hemy Painting — “A Corner Kick” / “The Last Minute – Now or Never”

Hanging today behind protective glass at the Stadium of Light, the painting commonly known as “The Hemy Painting”occupies a unique place in both football and art history. Depicting the English First Division match between Sunderland AFC and Aston Villa played at Newcastle Road on 2 January 1895, it is widely regarded as the oldest known painted depiction of an association football match.

The work was commissioned by Sunderland AFC to celebrate their third League Championship triumph in the 1894–95 season. The club selected local North-East artist Thomas Maria Madawaska Hemy to capture the team in action, choosing the dramatic league fixture against Aston Villa as the subject. The match itself ended in a thrilling 4–4 draw, but it was the broader symbolism of Sunderland’s dominance at the time—and the emerging spectacle of the professional game—that Hemy immortalised.

The painting has been known under two titles over the years: “A Corner Kick” and “The Last Minute – Now or Never.” Both names reflect the tension of the moment portrayed, with players crowded around the goalmouth, the ball suspended in the air, and a packed Newcastle Road crowd watching intently from the terraces. Villa were the reigning champions, Sunderland the league leaders, and the contest drew an attendance of around 12,000, underlining the scale and popularity of top-level football by the mid-1890s.

Art-historically, the painting has occasionally attracted comment for the exaggerated strength and positioning of the players’ hands, leading to speculation that Hemy may have previously painted pugilistic scenes. There is, however, no evidence to support this claim, nor do any known works by Hemy depict boxers. Instead, the physicality reflects the muscular, confrontational nature of Victorian football and Hemy’s desire to convey movement and struggle within a static image.

The subsequent journey of the painting is almost as remarkable as the work itself. Reports from the late 1890s indicate that Sunderland AFC initially intended to raffle the painting to raise club funds. When no claim emerged, it passed into storage before later appearing displayed in The Bells public house on Bridge Street, Sunderland—owned by the father of the club’s chairman. From there, it eventually resurfaced at Roker Park, mounted above the reception area with a plaque recording its presentation to the club by Samuel Wilson Esq. on 4 September 1930.

Ultimately, the painting returned to Sunderland AFC, where it now stands not merely as an artwork, but as a visual bridge to football’s formative professional era. It captures a time when the modern game was still defining itself—tactically, culturally, and commercially—and when Sunderland stood at the very centre of that story.

Today, the Hemy Painting is rightly regarded as a priceless footballing artefact: a rare contemporary artistic record of the game as it was played, watched, and felt in the Victorian age.

Product details:

• You will only pay shipping/postage for 1 item, no matter how many items you purchase.
• Discounts are given for multiple purchases.
• Size: A3, A4, A5
• Single Sided
• Paper: 400gsm premium art stock
• Print quality: Museum-grade, high-resolution
• Finish: Unframed
• Watermark shown in images does NOT appear on the final print
• Carefully packaged for safe delivery

A striking piece of football history — ideal for collectors, historians, and lovers of our national game.

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