1916
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
In an Elevator is a 1916 by George Bellows, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a crowded elevator: a tall nun in black stands stiffly, while three young women in bright hats and a man in a suit squeeze around her. Bellows called this a “study of the relation of a nun to society.” The nun’s old-world quiet clashes with the chatty, modern passengers who give her extra space. The print feels like a snapshot of 1916 New York—awkward, real, and full of small tensions. Look up other works about America to see how artists show everyday life.
Elevators, in 1916 as today, often inspire awkward social interactions. George Bellows himself described this print as a “study of the relation of a nun to society.” The Old World European values and modesty of the nun contrast to the younger, more boisterous passengers, who give wide berth to her dominating physical and moral presence.
The young African American man in this image is the elevator operator, responsible for manually operating the lift.
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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