Made in Germany 1918

Editor: We're looking at George Bellows' "Made in Germany," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. I’m immediately struck by its darkness, both in subject and tone. What do you see as you examine the composition and the artist’s use of light and shadow? Curator: The stark contrast is indeed compelling. Notice how Bellows employs chiaroscuro, almost theatrical in its intensity, to emphasize the brutality. The composition directs our gaze to the central struggle, framed by receding figures. What effect do you think this dramatic lighting achieves? Editor: It definitely amplifies the emotional impact. The bright figures appear vulnerable and victimized. The figures in the background fade into shadows, and it’s overwhelming. Curator: Precisely. Consider the formal arrangement: the diagonal thrust of the figures, the jagged lines of the landscape. Bellows uses these elements to create a sense of unease. Does this linear arrangement alter your reading of the print? Editor: I can see the diagonal now, and the jagged lines! It definitely evokes a sense of tension and disequilibrium. Thank you!