Elsie Speicher [verso]

Employing only a graphite pencil on wove paper, Bellows achieves a lively surface through fluid, curving lines that suggest the play of light on fabric and flesh. The drawing’s tonal range is built up with careful hatching and delicate cross‑contours, avoiding harsh edges and lending the figure a sense of three‑dimensionality despite the medium’s simplicity.

Created in the early post‑World‑War I period, the portrait entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the mid‑20th century. Documentation traces its provenance directly to Bellows’ estate, with no recorded intermediate owners, confirming its authenticity and continuous attribution to the artist.