Richard Dorment, The Telegraph's journalist, published a quiet interesting article entitled "George Bellows, Modern American Life, Royal Academy, review" on the newspaper's website on March 11, 2013. The author takes a critical view about works of American painter George Bellows and tries to determine his position in a contemporary American art at length of the article.
Speaking of the artist's paintings, it necassary to note that they probe beneath the surface of American life. Dwelling on his picture "Stag at Sharkey's" which depicts two sinewy boxers hurling themselves at each other like stags locked in mortal combat, Richard Dorment maintains that Bellows hits a nerve of Americans because this picture looks at the violence and racism at the heart of American society. Analyzing this painting, it's necessary to emphasize that boxing was illegal in New York untill 1911 and in order to circumvent the ban matches were held behind closed doors. It should be noted that Bellows did not approve or disapprove of boxing and according to his own words he was “just painting two men trying to kill each other”. Anyway there is grneral feeling to believe that Americans were shocked both by the near-nudity of the boxers and by the brutality of the subject.
Analyzing another Bellows' picture "North River" the author maintains that in contrast to 19th American landscape painters who focused on awe-inspiring natural phenomena like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls George Bellows painted the man-made equivalent. He found beauty in tugboats butting through the icy waters of the rain-sodden East River. He also painted Manhattan under snow and the lovely sight of the Palisades rising up on the Jersey side of the Hudson and some pretty views of summer fetes in Central Park. But in resolute terms the author claims that for all his superb craftsmanship, these subjects don’t have quite the edge of superb studies of working-class and poor New Yorkers.
In conclussion the author makes it clear that George Bellows' works certainly take a weighty position in American art. Moreover he shares an opinion of a contemporary American critic who once described Bellows as “an adherent of the 'wallop’ in painting”.
As for me, I think George Bellows is one of such painters who can expose the vices of their own nations. I completely approve of the phrase “an adherent of the 'wallop’ in painting”. Bellows' pictures certainly break the traditional vision of art.
Speaking of the artist's paintings, it necassary to note that they probe beneath the surface of American life. Dwelling on his picture "Stag at Sharkey's" which depicts two sinewy boxers hurling themselves at each other like stags locked in mortal combat, Richard Dorment maintains that Bellows hits a nerve of Americans because this picture looks at the violence and racism at the heart of American society. Analyzing this painting, it's necessary to emphasize that boxing was illegal in New York untill 1911 and in order to circumvent the ban matches were held behind closed doors. It should be noted that Bellows did not approve or disapprove of boxing and according to his own words he was “just painting two men trying to kill each other”. Anyway there is grneral feeling to believe that Americans were shocked both by the near-nudity of the boxers and by the brutality of the subject.
Analyzing another Bellows' picture "North River" the author maintains that in contrast to 19th American landscape painters who focused on awe-inspiring natural phenomena like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls George Bellows painted the man-made equivalent. He found beauty in tugboats butting through the icy waters of the rain-sodden East River. He also painted Manhattan under snow and the lovely sight of the Palisades rising up on the Jersey side of the Hudson and some pretty views of summer fetes in Central Park. But in resolute terms the author claims that for all his superb craftsmanship, these subjects don’t have quite the edge of superb studies of working-class and poor New Yorkers.
In conclussion the author makes it clear that George Bellows' works certainly take a weighty position in American art. Moreover he shares an opinion of a contemporary American critic who once described Bellows as “an adherent of the 'wallop’ in painting”.
As for me, I think George Bellows is one of such painters who can expose the vices of their own nations. I completely approve of the phrase “an adherent of the 'wallop’ in painting”. Bellows' pictures certainly break the traditional vision of art.
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