1918
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Cigarette is a 1918 ink by George Bellows, held at National Gallery of Art.
This black-and-white print shows a woman lying back on a raised platform, one arm raised as if reaching for something. To her right, a man in a coat sits hunched over, holding a cigarette. The room around them looks cluttered—barrels, crates, and a table with plates and a bottle. Shadows and rough lines make the scene feel tense and uneven. The artist used a printing method called lithography, where the image is drawn directly on a smooth stone before being pressed onto paper. This explains the sketchy, almost hand-drawn look. Look up lithography to see how this technique works.
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.
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