Jackie 1914

George Bellows created this painting ‘Jackie’ with oil on canvas. Look closely, and you can see how the paint is applied in these broad, confident strokes. It's like he's sculpting the form with color. The way Bellows builds up the image, you can see the history of his decision-making process right there on the canvas. Notice the creamy whites and the ochres and how they play against that dark green background. There’s a thick impasto, especially in the hat and the highlights of her hair, which adds this amazing texture. And that little touch of blue in her eyes—it really pops, doesn’t it? The physical presence of the paint becomes part of the emotional language of the artwork. Bellows captures something raw and immediate, reminding me a little of Manet. But, of course, it’s all filtered through his own sensibilities. Art is an ongoing conversation, and he is putting his spin on it, showing that, in painting, a definitive statement is far less interesting than embracing ambiguity.