1921
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Polo Sketch is a 1921 by George Bellows, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
George Bellows painted polo players on horseback in 1921. The scene shows speed, dust, and sharp focus on the sport. Bellows loved the energy of polo. He once wrote that the players looked "moral" but rode with wild confidence. The horses kick up dirt as the riders race. Next time you're in Ohio, check out this sketch at The Cleveland Museum of Art.
After witnessing his first polo match, Bellows described his fascination in a letter to his former English professor at Ohio State University: “I’ve been making studies of the wealthy game polo played by the ultra rich. And let me say these ultra rich have nerve tucked under their vest pocket. It’s an Aladdin’s lamp sort of game. You wish to be a hundred yards to your left, you kick your heels—and there you are. . . . The players are nice looking, moral looking. The horses are beautiful. I believe they brush their teeth and bathe them in goat’s milk. It is a great subject to draw.
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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