Fine Art Poster
From $29
A giclée print on 200gsm matte fine art paper, using a twelve-colour process for accurate, fade-resistant colour. Supplied unframed, delivered flat or rolled.
Excavation at Night - George Bellows
Regular price
$29.00 USD
Sale price
$29.00 USD
Regular price
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
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Made to order
Description
A moody, atmospheric depiction of a New York City construction site by George Bellows, capturing the industrial energy of 1908.
George Bellows painted Excavation at Night in 1908, capturing the rapid transformation of New York City during the early twentieth century. The work depicts the construction site of Pennsylvania Station, a massive project that required the removal of vast quantities of earth. Bellows focuses on the contrast between the dark, cavernous pit and the artificial light sources that illuminate the scene.
The composition is dominated by deep shadows and heavy impasto, techniques that define the Ashcan School aesthetic. Bellows uses a palette of dark blues, blacks, and ochres to convey the atmosphere of the city after dark. The distant buildings are rendered with loose, gestural brushwork, while the foreground excavation site is defined by stark, angular shapes. The small flickers of light from lamps and fires provide the only relief from the gloom, drawing the eye across the uneven terrain of the construction zone.
This painting reflects the artist's interest in the raw, industrial energy of the modern metropolis. Rather than focusing on the finished architecture, Bellows chooses to document the labour and the physical upheaval involved in urban expansion. The scene is devoid of human figures, yet the presence of machinery and the scale of the excavation suggest the immense human effort required to reshape the city. Bellows was a member of the group known as The Eight, who sought to depict the realities of contemporary life in America. His work often moved away from the polished academic styles of the period, favouring a more direct and unvarnished approach to his subjects. Excavation at Night remains a primary example of his ability to find visual interest in the mundane and often overlooked aspects of urban development.
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Manufacturing
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
Complete The Look
Excavation at Night - George Bellows
Regular price
From $29.00 USD
Sale price
From $29.00 USD
Regular price
Fine Art Poster / A4 (21x29.7 cm) / -
Artist Biography
George Bellows
Bellows was six foot two and good enough at baseball to attract interest from the Cincinnati Reds. He chose painting instead, moved to New York in 1904, and studied under Robert Henri at the New York School of Art. Henri taught that art should engage with the messy reality of American life, not retreat into academic prettiness. Bellows took the instruction further than anyone in the group.
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.
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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Fine Art Framed
From $89
The same fine art print in a solid wood frame with UV-protective acrylic glaze and rigid backing. Five frame colours. Arrives ready to hang.
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