A Day in June 1913

George Bellows painted this hazy park scene, “A Day in June,” with oils, probably en plein air. Look how he's knocked down the image with broad, confident strokes and a fairly limited range of greens and whites. It’s like he’s building the scene, block by block. I wonder if it was a sunny day? Check out the area on the left, where a cluster of figures in white dresses create a sense of rhythm. The paint is applied thickly here, with each stroke distinct and visible, like you can feel the brush moving across the canvas. The white hues are so varied. This really does evoke the feeling of a breezy summer afternoon, doesn't it? Bellows work is a great demonstration of art as an ongoing exploration and exchange of ideas. He learned so much from the French Impressionists, like Monet, but he brought his own American sensibility to it. It’s a conversation across time and place, always evolving and open to new voices.