Snow-Capped River

George Bellows is best-known as the painter of brutal prizefights such as Stag at Sharkeys and Both Members of this Club. Because of his subject matter and personal reputation as a sportsman, Bellows became the exemplar of the vibrant, virile, realist painting of the Ashcan school. However, he simultaneously drew inspiration from the energy and beauty of modern, urban life. Bellows's lyrical, if gritty, depictions of city life are as highly regarded as his sports paintings. When asked by the editor of the American Art Directory in 1912 to list his most important paintings, Bellows named Snow-Capped River among six others. The painting was acquired directly from the artist in 1911 by the American painter Gari Melchers, acting on behalf of the Telfair.