The Holdup, first state - George Bellows
Archival giclée
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Description
A 1916 lithograph by George Bellows depicting a tense street robbery in early twentieth-century New York.
George Bellows produced this lithograph in 1916, capturing a tense urban encounter. The composition focuses on a street robbery, where a man in a top hat is held at gunpoint by a figure in a flat cap. A third individual is partially visible in the background, adding to the atmosphere of illicit activity. Bellows utilised the medium of lithography to create deep, moody shadows and a sense of immediate, gritty action. The contrast between the victim and the assailant is sharp, reflecting the social disparities often explored by the Ashcan School artists.
This print, identified as the first state, shows the raw application of the lithographic crayon. Bellows worked closely with the master printer Bolton Brown, whose signature appears on the lower margin. The technique allows for a painterly quality, with soft transitions between light and dark areas. The scene is set against a stark, nondescript architectural backdrop, which keeps the focus entirely on the interaction between the figures. The body language of the victim, with hands raised, conveys a sense of vulnerability, while the assailant remains composed and focused. This work provides a glimpse into the darker side of early twentieth-century New York life, a subject that Bellows frequently documented with honesty and technical skill. The print is a fine example of his ability to translate the energy of the city into a static, monochrome medium, maintaining a balance between narrative detail and expressive mark-making.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
The Holdup, first state - George Bellows
Artist Biography
George Bellows
He painted boxing matches at Tom Sharkey's saloon, an illegal club near the Brooklyn waterfront where bare-knuckle fights happened in a back room. Stag at Sharkey's, painted in 1909 when he was twenty-six, shows two fighters locked together under electric light, the crowd surging at the edges of the canvas. The paint is applied with a violence that matches the subject.
He was the youngest artist associated with the Ashcan School and the boldest. While other members painted park benches and tenement laundry lines, Bellows painted excavation sites, shipyards, snow-covered lots, and river swimmers. The compositions are physically large, thickly painted, and arranged with an energy that makes the viewer feel as though the scene is still happening.
He worked as a newspaper sports illustrator to pay the bills, and the events he covered became paintings. In 1923 he was at the Polo Grounds on assignment for the New York Evening Journal when Luis Firpo knocked Jack Dempsey out of the ring and nearly into his lap. The painting he made of the moment reversed the punch to a left hook because the composition worked better that way. Accuracy was less important than impact.
He died of a ruptured appendix in 1925, at forty-two.
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