1916
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Business Men's Class is a 1916 by George Bellows, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a room full of men in suits stretching, bending, and flailing in an exercise class. Some look stiff, others clumsy—the instructor stands tall, demonstrating moves they can’t quite match. Bellows lived at this YMCA when he first moved to New York. He poked fun at the idea of office workers trying to stay fit, showing how awkward it could feel. The scene feels real, not polished. If you like this kind of everyday humor, look up more paintings of *america* from the early 1900s.
This scene takes place at the West Side YMCA, where George Bellows lived when he arrived in New York City from Columbus, Ohio, in 1904. Worry about the potentially debilitating impact of sedentary office jobs inspired new forms of exercise, such as calisthenics. Here, we see the artist’s satirical eye, as men of various body types and abilities attempt to mimic the graceful movements of the instructor.
The painter George Bellows resided at the West Side YMCA, where this scene takes place, which had 300 beds for men relocating to New York City.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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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