Nude with Fan 1920

George Bellows made this painting, Nude with Fan, probably in the early 20th century, and it's oil paint on canvas. There is something about the muted palette, and the way he has worked the paint, almost scrubbing it into the canvas, that makes me think of Vuillard. See the slightly chalky whites, the deep greens, and the way he uses pink in the nude to make the flesh feel alive. Look at the small mark just above her left breast, a thick blob of pink that makes the skin seem to glow. Bellows has allowed the materiality of the paint to shine through. Bellows belonged to the Ashcan School, a group of artists painting gritty urban scenes, but here, he's focused on something more intimate, a scene of quiet contemplation. The slightly melancholy mood makes me think of Edward Hopper, another artist who explored the loneliness of modern life. It reminds us that art is an ongoing conversation across time. Bellows speaks to us through paint, inviting us to see the world through his eyes.