George Wesley Bellows' War Lithographs and Paintings of 1918
George Wesley Bellows' War Lithographs and Paintings of 1918
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Date
1981
Authors
Wasserman, Krystyna
Advisor
Johns, Elizabeth
Citation
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Abstract
This thesis analyzes the sources, subject matter and
style of George Bellows' seventeen war lithographs, five
paintings and five drawings of 1918. Evidence is advanced
to prove that the political developments of the First
World War were a decisive factor in the creation of the
War Series by Bellows who otherwise had no interest in war
themes. The development of Bellows' patriotic feelings,
culminating in the creation of war lithographs as a
response to the changes of United States policy from one
of neutrality to one of full involvement in the European
conflict and a state of war with Germany in April 1917, is
traced in Bellows' art and political statements.
For the purpose of analysis Bellows' lithographs and
paintings are divided into: scenes of atrocities depicting
crimes committed by the German Army in Belgium in August
1914 as described in the Bryce Report published in the New
York Times on May 13, 1915; Bellows' illustrations for the
war stories published in magazines in 1918; and scenes inspired by war events and war photographs. Thematic and
stylistic comparisons with the works of old masters and
contemporary European artists are made.
The study concludes that Bellows' war lithographs and
paintings are not evaluated by modern critics as enthusiastically
as most of his other works. It is suggested that
one of the reasons why this is so, is the fact that Bellows
who painted usually scenes he had known and seen, never
went to war, and thus had to rely on articles, correspondence
or photographs rather than on personal observations
to determine the subjects of his war lithographs and
paintings.