VISUALS
American Master Columbus Museum of Art brings George Bellows home By Cameron Carr Photos courtesy of Columbus Museum of Art
AT THE BEGINNING of the 20th century, when the influence of impressionism and its smeared images of French landscapes still dominated the art world, George Bellows was focusing on real life. The Columbus-born artist and one-time student of The Ohio State University made a name for himself after moving to New York City, where he documented American life without the filters of aristocracy. Now, the Columbus Museum of Art has created a home for his art right where it all began. “He’s a hometown boy,” says Nannette Maciejunes, director of the museum. “Bellows was part of the revolutionary, groundbreaking generation of American artists that led the charge in both realism and modernism. He was really one of the most talented painters of his generation.” CMA has long been home to the world’s largest collection of Bellows’ works, but the George Bellows Center, supported by
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cityscenecolumbus.com | January/February 2022
An Island in the Sea, 1911