The great American realist painter George Bellows (1882–1925) has long been respected for his ability to capture the spirit and character of American life in the early 20th century. His well-known images convey the liveliness present in many aspects of American society, from the boxing ring to the seashore. This exhibition features more than 60 prints and drawings from the Boston Public Library, the most important collection of Bellows’s graphic art in the United States. These works have not been seen publicly since the 1950s.

Organized by the Trust for Museum Exhibitions, Washington, D.C. in collaboration with the Boston Public Library.

Listen to Podcasts of the Bellows exhibition.

George Bellows (United States, 1882–1925), A Knock Down, 1917–1921, crayon on paper, 15 x 19 3/16 inches, Wiggin Collection, Boston Public Library.

Cities nurture and provoke creative response. The density of visual experience provided by urban life has long been a stock in trade for painters, printmakers, and photographers. This exhibition explores artistic responses to the serendipities of city life in Portland and other metropolitan environments from the mid-19th century to the present day. Drawn predominantly from the permanent collection, Urban Seen presents more than 20 paintings, prints, and photographs that document, interpret, and idealize monuments, buildings, streetscapes, and neighborhoods—visions that capture the scale of life in the American city.

WCSH6 story 

Robert Solotaire,View from the 11th Floor, Night, October 1978. Portland Museum of Art, Maine. Gift of the artist.