{"product_id":"southend-united-1908-09-copy","title":"Hemy Painting - Sunderland v Aston Villa 1895","description":"\u003ch2 data-start=\"347\" data-end=\"422\"\u003eThe Hemy Painting — \u003cem data-start=\"370\" data-end=\"422\"\u003e“A Corner Kick” \/ “The Last Minute – Now or Never”\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"424\" data-end=\"831\"\u003eHanging today behind protective glass at the Stadium of Light, the painting commonly known as \u003cstrong data-start=\"518\" data-end=\"541\"\u003e“The Hemy Painting”\u003c\/strong\u003eoccupies a unique place in both football and art history. Depicting the English First Division match between \u003cstrong data-start=\"651\" data-end=\"685\"\u003eSunderland AFC and Aston Villa\u003c\/strong\u003e played at Newcastle Road on \u003cstrong data-start=\"714\" data-end=\"732\"\u003e2 January 1895\u003c\/strong\u003e, it is widely regarded as \u003cstrong data-start=\"759\" data-end=\"830\"\u003ethe oldest known painted depiction of an association football match\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"833\" data-end=\"1333\"\u003eThe work was commissioned by Sunderland AFC to celebrate their \u003cstrong data-start=\"896\" data-end=\"955\"\u003ethird League Championship triumph in the 1894–95 season\u003c\/strong\u003e. The club selected local North-East artist \u003cstrong data-start=\"999\" data-end=\"1030\"\u003eThomas Maria Madawaska Hemy\u003c\/strong\u003e to capture the team in action, choosing the dramatic league fixture against Aston Villa as the subject. The match itself ended in a thrilling \u003cstrong data-start=\"1173\" data-end=\"1185\"\u003e4–4 draw\u003c\/strong\u003e, but it was the broader symbolism of Sunderland’s dominance at the time—and the emerging spectacle of the professional game—that Hemy immortalised.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1335\" data-end=\"1858\"\u003eThe painting has been known under two titles over the years: \u003cstrong data-start=\"1396\" data-end=\"1415\"\u003e“A Corner Kick”\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong data-start=\"1420\" data-end=\"1457\"\u003e“The Last Minute – Now or Never.”\u003c\/strong\u003e 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 \u003cstrong data-start=\"1770\" data-end=\"1780\"\u003e12,000\u003c\/strong\u003e, underlining the scale and popularity of top-level football by the mid-1890s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1860\" data-end=\"2339\"\u003eArt-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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2341\" data-end=\"2914\"\u003eThe 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 \u003cstrong data-start=\"2626\" data-end=\"2652\"\u003eThe Bells public house\u003c\/strong\u003e on Bridge Street, Sunderland—owned by the father of the club’s chairman. From there, it eventually resurfaced at \u003cstrong data-start=\"2766\" data-end=\"2780\"\u003eRoker Park\u003c\/strong\u003e, mounted above the reception area with a plaque recording its presentation to the club by \u003cstrong data-start=\"2871\" data-end=\"2913\"\u003eSamuel Wilson Esq. on 4 September 1930\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2916\" data-end=\"3250\"\u003eUltimately, the painting returned to Sunderland AFC, where it now stands not merely as an artwork, but as a \u003cstrong data-start=\"3024\" data-end=\"3082\"\u003evisual bridge to football’s formative professional era\u003c\/strong\u003e. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3252\" data-end=\"3477\"\u003eToday, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProduct details:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou will only pay shipping\/postage for 1 item, no matter how many items you purchase.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDiscounts are given for multiple purchases.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eSize: A3, A4, A5\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSingle Sided\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003ePaper: 400gsm premium art stock\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003ePrint quality: Museum-grade, high-resolution\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eFinish: Unframed\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eWatermark shown in images does NOT appear on the final print\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCarefully packaged for safe delivery\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA striking piece of football history — ideal for collectors, historians, and lovers of our national game.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAny issues please contact me at \u003ca href=\"mailto:paul@worldvintagecolours.com\"\u003epaul@worldvintagecolours.com\u003c\/a\u003e by clicking the hyperlink and I will get back to you ASAP.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Vintage Colours","offers":[{"title":"A3","offer_id":47251962855616,"sku":"Hemy Painting - Sunderland v Aston Villa 1895 A3","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4","offer_id":47251962888384,"sku":"Hemy Painting - Sunderland v Aston Villa 1895 A4","price":7.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A5","offer_id":47251962921152,"sku":"Hemy Painting - Sunderland v Aston Villa 1895 A5","price":4.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/8242\/7840\/files\/297x420-TheHemyPainting1895.jpg?v=1768922097","url":"https:\/\/www.worldvintagecolours.com\/products\/southend-united-1908-09-copy","provider":"World Vintage Colours","version":"1.0","type":"link"}