George Bellows
American, 1882–1925

The Queensboro Bridge in New York (also known as the 59th Street Bridge) links Manhattan with Queens, spanning the East River. Midway, the massive piers rest on Blackwell’s Island (now called Roosevelt Island). Painted from the Manhattan side, it shows an unlovely vista of drab factories and docks. However, using vibrant colors, thick application of paint, and bold slashes of the brush, George Bellows gives the scene an energy that conveys the excitement of life in the modern American city.

By cropping the bridge off at the top, Bellows emphasizes its towering presence. The family of onlookers gazing in wonder at the newly opened double-decker bridge underscores its engineering feat—at the time, the greatest cantilever bridge in the world.

Oil on canvas, 1909
Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1912.506