1918
ink
paperboard
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Murder of Edith Cavell is a 1918 ink by George Bellows, held at National Gallery of Art.
This scene shows a dimly lit prison cell with a woman in a long dress standing on a raised platform. She’s holding a rope tied around her neck, while two men below pull at it. Others in the room—some kneeling, some lying—watch or turn away. The walls are rough stone, and a faint light comes from a window or doorway in the back. The artist used sharp lines and deep shadows to make the moment feel tense and dark. The title tells us this is about Edith Cavell, a nurse executed during World War I for helping soldiers escape. Check out how this was made using lithography.
George Wesley Bellows (August 12 or August 19, 1882 – January 8, 1925) was an American realist painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City.
See the richer artist page
