As anAmerican realist painter George Bellows liked to reflect the destruction andchaos of New York’s’ urban city life. By a series of paintings catching theviolence and eccentric motion in underground armature fights George Bellowsbecame one of the most known artists of his generation. Bornin Columbus Ohio in 1882, George Bellows began early on to have a personalinterest in art.
Beginning to draw well beyond kindergarten and repeatedlybeing asked from his elementary-school teachers to decorate the class room forfestive occasions such as Christmas and Thanks Giving. However, after gettingbullied from his classmates, Wesley soon learned to defend himself with hisfists and at the age of ten he decided to become an athlete, wanting to pursuitthe career of either a baseball or a basketball player. Though loving the worldof sport his interest in art never died of.
Hesoon identified himself as an American realist painter. It was at this point intime when Bellows joined the Ashcan Schoolmovement, a movement that is known for portraying scenes of daily life in NewYork during the early 20thcentury.Stillreally passionate for sport, Bellows set up his studio directly across from anathletic club called Sharkey`s saloon. Theclub was famous for Fridays “Fight Night”, where usually unknown amateurfighters boxed against each other. From there on the young artist conducted aseries of paintings dedicated to the amateur boxing fights.
The paintings areknown for having a rather dark atmosphere and a really bright and glowingforeground, whereby the bright aspects reflect the headlights above thecombatants. Arguably his most famous artwork from this series is “stagat sharkeys” from1909.
