Artwork
Untitled (Boys Flying a Kite)
Untitled (Boys Flying a Kite) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Albert Fitch Bellows. It dates from 1875 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Albert Fitch Bellows produced an etching around 1875 titled Untitled (Boys Flying a Kite). The work is a small, monochrome print that captures a fleeting outdoor moment through rapid, sketch‑like lines and subtle tonal contrasts.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a young boy perched on a grassy slope, his hand raised to guide an unseen kite. Behind him, a line of trees borders a riverbank, and a solitary cow grazes in the distance, suggesting a quiet, rural leisure scene.
Technique & Style
Bellows employed the traditional etching process, incising the image onto a metal plate and using acid to create varied line depths. The drawing’s loose, gestural marks and careful shading convey both movement and the play of light across the landscape.
Context
Created in the late nineteenth century, the print reflects the era’s interest in everyday life and the American pastoral. Bellows, known for his landscape studies, often rendered scenes with immediacy, emphasizing atmosphere over detailed narrative.
Artist & collection
Artist
Albert Fitch Bellows (November 20, 1829 – November 24, 1883) was an American landscape painter of the Hudson River School.
