Little Girl in White 1907

George Bellows captured this little girl in oils, probably sometime in the early 20th century. The brushstrokes are so juicy and free, especially in the girl's white dress. I can almost see Bellows wrestling with the canvas, trying to capture the way the light hits those folds and creases. What was he thinking as he painted her? Was he trying to capture her innocence, her potential, or something else entirely? The way she looks out at us, there’s a real connection to the viewer. He paints her as a real person, not an ideal. The way he simplifies the background really puts the focus on her face and dress, which become the real subjects of the painting. There’s a conversation going on here with other painters like Manet and Velázquez, a sharing of ideas across time. We bring our own experiences and feelings, and the painting shifts and changes with each viewing. It's like, we’re all in this painting together, trying to figure things out.