Girl with Flowers

George Bellows is one of the most distinguished artists collected by the Union League Club. He is best known for his gritty and dynamic depictions of boxing matches; however, this work demonstrates his mastery of portraiture. Born in Columbus Ohio, his mother hoped he would become a minister. His artistic talent surfaced early on when he began to draw as a child. Bellows also excelled in sports, playing baseball and basketball in high school. He even had a pro-baseball offer from Indianapolis but decided to attend Ohio State, where he continued to play sports and pursued art. Eventually, he dedicated his professional life to art, studying in New York City with Robert Henri and William Merritt Chase.

Art school was beneficial in more ways than one for him, as he met there his wife, Emma, who is the subject of this portrait. Torso with Flowers draws the viewer in by the intimacy of the setting and sitter’s pose. One nearly feels like a voyeur in her boudoir. Emma’s mood is pensive, conveying her inner psyche and the artist’s empathy and familiarity with her. Typical stylistic characteristics of Bellows are prominent: freely applied paint and a dramatic light source invoking strong contrasts of light and dark. Unfortunately, Bellows died at the young age of forty-three from a ruptured appendix.