An American Experiment: George Bellows and the Ashcan Painters, National Gallery

The Ashcan school comes out of the bin to thrill and excite

by Judith FlandersTuesday, 01 March 2011

George Bellows, 'Excavation at Night' (1908)Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas

The National Gallery has done it again: a small but perfectly formed exhibition in their little Room 1, now a by-word for intelligent show-making. Something new, something revelatory, something profoundly beautiful – what more can the gallery-goer ask? The Ashcan School is not widely known outside the USA, and I can think of no better introduction than this dozen-canvas-strong showing of some of the highlights (and, it must be admitted, a couple of low-lights as well).

They painted the world they saw about them, in its brutality as well as in its beauty

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Permalink Submitted by Laura (not verified) on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 11:40

I re-read this again today, its opened my eyes up to The Ashcan School, I had never heard this before, thanks for telling us all :) Fantastic insight into smaller aspects/works at a giant of the London art scene.

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Permalink Submitted by Ken White (not verified) on Wed, 16/03/2011 - 10:25

I just returned from NY to see the Hopper show, realy to see the Ashcan artists.Now they are in London great. My work has been influenced for a few years now. See www.kenwhitemurals.co.uk and my work at Panterandhall.com Ken White

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