The painters Everett Shinn, Robert Henri, and John Sloan, all members of the group, “The Eight,” c. 1896. Bellows trained under Robert Henri, who became the leading figure American painter George Bellows, self- of “The Eight,” a group of artists who showed portrait. Bellows is best known for his together in 1908 and eventually developed paintings of children, tenement life, and into what became known as the Ashcan School. boxing matches, all of which depict the changing life in New York City during a time of rapid growth through immigration. other sporting scenes beyond boxing, and a series of works relating to World War I. His most vibrant works are those that depict action, such as the George Bellows: Painter of Action sports scenes. Here he referenced many sources, such as photographic studies by the English pho- George Bellows (1882–1925) was born in Columbus, tographer Eadweard Muybridge, who captured the Ohio. An athletic youth who played baseball and bas- body in motion, as well as paintings by the American ketball, young Bellows seemed poised for a career in master Thomas Eakins. Bellows’ body of work is sports. He also gravitated toward art, though, and characterized by a gritty naturalism that came from in 1904 he left his home state to study painting in direct observation of his subjects. New York. There he studied with the painter Robert Henri at the New York School of Art. He painted Influences and Legacy many types of scenes in New York and showed some Bellows trained under Robert Henri, who became the of his works side-by-side with European modernists leading figure of “The Eight,” a group of artists who at the Armory Show in 1913. Of particular interest showed together in 1908 and eventually developed are his paintings of children, tenement life, and box- into what became known as the Ashcan School. ing matches, all of which depict the changing life Henri taught his students to focus on contemporary in the city during a time of rapid growth through life and to paint in a manner that reflected real expe- immigration. riences with their subjects. Although Bellows died as the result of a ruptured Seen in the context of modernist paintings and sculp- appendix when he was just forty-two, he was a tures by European artists like Duchamp and Picasso, prolific artist who was recognized by his contempo- Bellows’ work is notably different. It is concrete and raries as a master of American painting. In addition based on observations, with little interest in abstrac- to the paintings of urban life in New York City, tion. The focus on modern life and action, however, Bellows painted seascapes in Maine, portraits, many was progressive in American art at the time. Bellows

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