Ghost Of Sergeant Pelly 1918

George Bellows made this drawing, Ghost of Sergeant Pelly, with ink and crayon, and it’s like a snapshot of chaos, a jumble of bodies caught in some awful moment. There's a real sense of immediacy in the way he's built up the forms with layers of shading. Bellows isn’t being subtle here. He's throwing down marks, building up the scene with broad strokes, and letting the paper show through in places, which adds to the rawness. The light and shadow create this churning, almost claustrophobic feeling. The textures are all smudged and blurred, like a memory fading or a nightmare repeating. Check out the faces. All that’s in them is fear. This piece reminds me of Goya, who was also obsessed with the dark side of humanity. Like Goya, Bellows isn't afraid to stare into the abyss. Art like this doesn't give you answers, it just asks you to keep looking.