Village Massacre
Village Massacre

Currently not on view

Village Massacre,

1918

George Wesley Bellows, 1882–1925; born Columbus, OH; died, New York, NY; active New York, NY
L.2018.94.1

Renowned for his gritty depictions of boxing and urban life, during World War I, Bellows—who was rejected for combat service due to his age—employed his skills as visual journalist in depicting events that he never witnessed. This brutal scene belongs to a series of controversial war paintings and lithographs made by the artist in response to Allied reports of German atrocities committed on Belgian civilians. These included the execution of more than three hundred inhabitants of the small town of Dinant on August 23, 1914. Bellows signified the presence of German soldiers with protruding rifles and a raised sword—a detail inspired by one of Francisco de Goya’s etchings in The Disasters of War series.

Information

Title
Village Massacre
Dates

1918

Maker
George Wesley Bellows
Medium
Lithograph
Dimensions
sheet: 57.2 × 87 cm (22 1/2 × 34 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Graphic Arts Collection, Rare Books and Special Collections, Firestone Library
Object Number
L.2018.94.1

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