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H. V. Allison & Co.

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A six-story, narrow building stands alone in an otherwise unoccupied lot under the deck of a high bridge, with a river and cityscape in the background in this horizontal painting. Dozens of people, small in scale, are each painted with a few swipes of black and some with peach-colored faces. They gather at the foot of the building and around a fire to our left, near the lower left corner of the composition. The fire is painted with a dash of orange, a few touches of canary yellow, and a smudge of gray smoke. Several more people stand and sit against the building, which has a streetlamp near its entrance. The back end of the building angles away from us to our right, so we see the narrow, front entrance side to our left. Each of the six floors of the building has two windows with fire escape ladders on the narrow side we can see. Some strokes in red and white on the lower levels of the long, flat side of the building suggest signs or posters. The top story glows a warm sienna brown in sunlight, while the rest of the building and the scene below are in shadow. More people walk along a grayish-violet fence that encloses the lot beyond the building. The ground is painted thickly with slate gray, pale, sage green, and one smear of white to suggest snow. To our right and a short distance from us, a white horse pulls a carriage near the foot of the bridge. The ivory-white, concrete piling rises up and off the right edge of the canvas and supports the deck of the bridge above. Only a sliver of the brick-red underside of the bridge is visible, skimming the top edge of the painting in the upper right corner. Two twiggy, barren trees grow up beyond the muted purple fence, and the landscape beyond is bright in the sunlight. A terracotta-orange building rises along the left edge of the painting, with the area between it and the lot under the bridge filled with thickly painted patches of butter yellow, amethyst purple, and sage green. Beyond that, an ice-blue river flows across the composition. The shore beyond is lined with patches of beige and tan paint that could be buildings. A black tugboat puffs bright white smoke in the river. The sky above is frosty white. The artist signed the work with dark blue in the lower left corner of the painting, “Geo Bellows.”
George Bellows, The Lone Tenement, 1909, oil on canvas, Chester Dale Collection, 1963.10.83

The Lone Tenement

George Bellows · 1909 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1963.10.83

From under an elevated train track, we look at a cluster of people hammering and working on the far side of a wooden fence, all against a silvery-blue building that fills most of the background in this horizontal painting. The scene is loosely painted mostly in tones of hazy and saturated blues, so many of the details are indistinct. About a quarter of the way in from the right edge of the composition, a thin iron column holds up the train platform. The column nearly spans the height of the painting, and the track it supports runs across the top edge of the canvas. At the foot of the column, along the bottom edge, are two parallel tracks embedded in an area otherwise painted with short, diagonal strokes in topaz blue, olive green, and straw yellow. Just beyond the tracks, the split-rail wooden fence runs across most of the painting, though there is an opening at the left edge of the canvas. A man sits with his back to us on the railing to our right of center. He wears a dark cap, a lapis-blue shirt, and navy-blue pants. Several men work on or near a mound-shaped form, perhaps a piece of machinery, just beyond the fence, near the center of the painting. One man holds a hammer high overhead while another reaches down or strikes the mound with his feet planted wide. More people work together to our left, and a man to our right stands near a crane. The people and these areas are painted with broad strokes and touches of cobalt blue, charcoal gray, khaki brown, and a few swipes of shell pink and bright white. A puff of white smoke billows up behind the central group, before the land drops precipitously away. The chasm is painted with shimmering tones of aquamarine and cerulean blue. A sky-blue, rectangular building perches at the far edge. A few windows are outlined in royal blue to our left but the rest of the building is loosely painted with long, vertical strokes so no architectural details can be made out. Behind this structure are more city buildings, suggested with strokes of muted rust red, parchment and bright white, and cobalt blue. The ice-blue sky fills the band between the top of the buildings and the train track running overhead. The artist signed his name near the lower left corner, “BELLOWS.”
George Bellows, Blue Morning, 1909, oil on canvas, Chester Dale Collection, 1963.10.82

Blue Morning

George Bellows · 1909 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1963.10.82

This is a drawing of a boxing match. The composition shows a boxer being knocked out of the ring during a fight. A muscular figure is in the foreground, delivering a powerful blow that sends the opponent tumbling through the ropes. The onlookers show various expressions of shock and excitement. The shading and play of light and shadow add depth to the scene.
George Bellows, Dempsey through the Ropes, 1923-1924, lithograph in black, Andrew W. Mellon Fund, 1956.6.6

Dempsey through the Ropes

George Bellows · 1923-1924 · lithograph in black ·  Accession ID  1956.6.6

This is a print of a boxing match in an arena. Two shirtless boxers are seen grappling in the ring, with a referee nearby. The audience surrounding the ring is shown at the bottom watching the match, some turning to speak to each other. The background is black
George Bellows, A Stag at Sharkey's, 1917, lithograph in black, Andrew W. Mellon Fund, 1956.6.13

A Stag at Sharkey's

George Bellows · 1917 · lithograph in black ·  Accession ID  1956.6.13

This is a drawing of a boxing match scene. In the foreground, elegantly dressed attendees are seated and standing, observing the event. The shading and textures suggest a darkened space, with highlighted areas drawing attention to the spectators and the boxing ring. The ring shows two figures in an active pose. Characters are in formal attire, including tuxedos and top hats, watching from various angles. The composition captures anticipation and energy of a live sporting event. The style features detailed textures and a somber palette, focusing on lighting and shadows.
George Bellows, Preliminaries, 1916, lithograph in black, Andrew W. Mellon Fund, 1956.6.12

Preliminaries

George Bellows · 1916 · lithograph in black ·  Accession ID  1956.6.12

This is a sporting illustration of a boxing match. The depiction shows a referee counting over a boxer who has been knocked down inside a boxing ring. The referee, bald and wearing a vest, appears to be indicating the count with his fingers. The fallen boxer is on the canvas wearing boxing gear, including gloves. Another boxer stands in the background near the ropes, displaying signs of fatigue. A third figure, possibly a trainer or cornerman, is visible near the ropes. The setting is a boxing arena with a blurred crowd in the background, creating a dramatic atmosphere. The drawing uses black and white tones to convey the intensity of the moment.
George Bellows, Counted Out, second stone, 1921, lithograph in black, Andrew W. Mellon Fund, 1956.6.4

Counted Out, second stone

George Bellows · 1921 · lithograph in black ·  Accession ID  1956.6.4

The drawing depicts a figure bending forward, with their back towards the viewer. The figure's body has abstract and disproportionate features, like elongated limbs and a large, exaggerated head. The use of shading and bold lines create depth and contrast. The drawing style suggests an exploration of form and movement in a minimalist and abstract manner.
George Bellows, Study for "Riverfront No. 1", c. 1915, conté crayon on wove paper, Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase through a gift of Emily Crane Chadbourne, Charles C. Glover, Jr., and Arthur C. Nash, 1977), 2015.19.2612

Study for "Riverfront No. 1"

George Bellows · c. 1915 · conté crayon on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2015.19.2612

This is a drawing of a group of figures gathered around and near a ring. The image shows a group seated or standing around a central figure who appears to be resting on a chair. This central figure seems to be engaged in an activity, possibly related to sports, suggested by the presence of the ring and attendants. The figures are mostly in formal attire, with visible expressions that imply conversation or action. The scene portrays a moment of intense focus and engagement, captured in rich grayscale, emphasizing expressions and posture against a dark background.
George Bellows, Introducing John L. Sullivan, 1916, lithograph in black, Andrew W. Mellon Fund, 1956.6.8

Introducing John L. Sullivan

George Bellows · 1916 · lithograph in black ·  Accession ID  1956.6.8

The image shows a man partly visible in a boxing ring corner, being attended to by two individuals. The man sits on a stool, leaning back on the ropes. His head is turned to the side and his face is not fully visible. He is shirtless with boxing shorts and shoes. One person is sponging him down, and another is holding a towel. There is a pipe in one person's hand. Another boxer is in the ring, also being attended to. A crowd of spectators fills the background. The setting appears to be indoors, with the ring well-lit and the crowd partly shadowed for contrast.
George Bellows, Between Rounds, large, first stone, 1916, lithograph in black, Andrew W. Mellon Fund, 1956.6.1

Between Rounds, large, first stone

George Bellows · 1916 · lithograph in black ·  Accession ID  1956.6.1

From a darkened arena around a boxing ring, we look up at two bare chested men, one with pale, white skin and the other with brown skin, who lock arms in a boxing match in this horizontal painting. The brushstrokes are loose and visible throughout, making some details difficult to make out. The boxer to our left wears drooping, forest-green trunks and black shoes. He leans back on his bent right leg, closer to us, and tilts his face up. His mouth gapes open and his nose, chin, and neck are smeared with scarlet red, suggesting blood. His pale skin has a green cast, and his chest, arms, and legs are sinewy and muscular. His right arm is raised or pulled up overhead by the boxer to our right. Wearing dark briefs, the second boxer hunches over with head lowered toward the other man’s shoulder. He surges forward onto his deeply bent left knee, closer to us, pushing powerfully off his back leg. His face is lost in shadow and his body has less detail than his opponent, though light glints off his arching back to create gold highlights against his brown skin along his spine, ribs, and muscles of the shoulder. The men’s bodies nearly span the height of the canvas. The black ropes of the boxing ring pass in front of and behind the boxers, and the space around the ring in the top half of the painting is nearly black. Heads and faces of the spectators in the first few rows are lit by the main event and are crowded into the bottom third of the painting. Two spectators on our far left have climbed up and lean on and through the ropes, their mouths open. The crowd, which appears to be all light-skinned men and boys, are painted loosely but their mouths widen in toothy grins or are agape. The artist signed the work in yellow letters against black in the lower right corner: “Geo Bellows.”
George Bellows, Both Members of This Club, 1909, oil on canvas, Chester Dale Collection, 1944.13.1

Both Members of This Club

George Bellows · 1909 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1944.13.1