: One of the great figures in Twentieth Century American art,
George Bellows (1882-1925) is best known for the muscular style
and gusto of his paintings of turn-of-the-century urban scenes
and depictions of boxing matches. His identification with the
cityscapes of the Ashcan School has overshadowed the significant
achievements of his final years, when he painted powerful rural
landscapes and memorable portraits.
This exhibition, the first to focus exclusively on the work of
his last four years in Woodstock, N.Y., reveals that in just five
years, 1920-1924, this restless and ambitious artist grew and
developed in ways that changed his palette and altered his style
in substantial ways. Bellows created some of his most interesting
and compelling paintings in that Catskill Mountains area before
his sudden death at age 42.
With more than 30 paintings and more than 20 drawings, "Leaving
for the Country: George Bellows at Woodstock" and its excellent
catalog should go a long way toward increasing understanding of
and appreciation for this all-American artist's concluding work.
The rewarding, visually appealing show was curated by Marjorie B.
Searl, chief curator at the Memorial Art Gallery of the
University of Rochester, and Ronald Netsky, chair of the art
department at Nazareth College. After opening in Rochester, N.Y.,
the exhibition is currently on view at the Terra Museum of
American Art through January 11, and then travels to the Georgia
Museum of Art in Athens (February 21-May 16) and Vero Beach
(Fla.) Museum of Art (September 3-November 7, 2004).
