Arms of a Boxer 1916

George Bellows made this drawing with what looks like charcoal, capturing arms in motion. The way he’s worked the charcoal feels urgent, like he's trying to catch something fleeting. I'm really drawn to the raw, almost unfinished quality here. It's not about perfection; it's about the energy of the moment, the physicality of the boxer. The smudges and blurred lines add to that feeling, like you can almost see the movement happening right before your eyes. Look at the dense hatching on the upper arm on the left, the way it indicates the flex of the muscle. There’s a real understanding of form in that mark, and it’s placed so decisively. It’s like Bellows is flexing his own muscles as he draws. Bellows was a master of capturing the gritty reality of early 20th-century America. His paintings of boxing matches, like his drawing here, are visceral and full of life. You could compare this to some of Käthe Kollwitz’s more raw and expressive drawings. Like Kollwitz, Bellows wasn’t afraid to show the rough edges of life. It's this kind of honest, unvarnished view that makes his work so compelling, don’t you think?