1910
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Seated Female Nude (Emma Story Bellows) is a 1910 by George Bellows, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows a woman sitting with her back to us. She wears a simple slip and her hair is pinned back. The light catches her shoulders and neck in a soft glow. Bellows wasn’t known for these quiet moments—he usually painted rough boxing scenes or city life. But here, he captures something tender instead. The loose brushstrokes make her feel real, like she’s just turned away for a second. See how the light fades into the background? That’s called *sfumato*—soft edges that blur where the light ends and shadow begins. Look up George Bellows next.
Bellows achieved fame as a young man for his powerful boxing scenes and images of urban life, but he also produced sensitive drawings and paintings of women. Bellows married Emma Story in 1910.
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.
See the richer artist page
