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Collections

George Bellows
Cliff Dwellers1913

On view:
Geffen Galleries, Labor and Leisure in the American Metropolis
Oil painting of a crowded urban street scene with dozens of figures between tall tenement buildings, loose gestural brushwork in dark greens, grays, and white
Oil painting of two women seated on a city sidewalk against a stone building, rendered in loose brushwork with muted grays, blacks, and whites; a third figure stands partially visible at left.
Oil painting of a woman in a pale coat standing on exterior steps beside a railing, glancing back toward the viewer, with brick buildings, a barber's pole, and several figures visible in the background; loose, sketchy brushwork.
Oil painting of a crowded urban street scene at night, with loose brushwork. A dense crowd fills the foreground in muted browns and whites. A streetcar occupies the middle ground with passengers visible through its windows. Above, two figures stand on a building balcony, one in white with arms outstretched.
Oil painting of a crowded urban street scene with numerous figures, rendered in loose, gestural brushwork. Children and adults in light summer clothing fill the foreground; several figures sit or crouch on the ground while a central group of children in white dresses gathers under bright light. Dense, dark-toned crowd recedes into the shadowy background.
Photograph of a wooden panel backing with multiple layered institutional labels in varying states of deterioration, including typed museum accession cards from Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Santa Barbara Museum of Art, alongside torn and aged paper fragments.

George Bellows, Cliff Dwellers, 1913, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Fund, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Artist or Maker
George Bellows
United States, Ohio, Columbus, 1882-1925
Title
Cliff Dwellers
Place Made
United States
Date Made
1913
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
40 3/16 x 42 1/16 in. (102.0763 x 106.8388 cm) Frame (Framed): 49 1/2 × 51 3/4 × 4 in.
Credit Line
Los Angeles County Fund
Accession Number
16.4
Classification
Paintings
Collecting Area
American Art
Curatorial Notes

In this animated urban scene celebrating daily life on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, George Bellows depicts the immigrants who flocked to American cities in the early 20th century. Sitting on window ledges or leaning against balcony railings, the apartment dwellers peer at the spectacle of the street, where, at the center of the composition, a mother bends over to scold her naughty child.

Provenance

The artist, 1913-16.

Selected Bibliography
  • American Painting: From the Eighteenth Century to the Present Day. London: Tate Gallery, 1946.