Skip to main content

The Bellows Class

1918
Peggy Bacon (American, 1895–1987) Portrait of George Bellows (American, 1882–1925)
Several of Peggy Bacon's early drypoints capture events from her days at the Art Students League in New York. In this work she recreates a portraiture class she took with George Bellows (1882-1925), an American realist artist who adopted the dark palette and loose brushwork associated with the Ashcan School in his depictions of urban life. Bellows stands in the center with a weary countenance. His appearance reveals Bacon's own attitude toward his instruction, which she found "uniformly absurd" because of his insistence on rigid and exacting use of color and dynamic proportion.

Object Details

We are always open to learning more about our collections and updating the website. Does this record contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Contact us here.

Please note that this particular artwork might not be on view when you visit. Don’t worry—we have plenty of exhibitions for you to explore.