Fantasy was painted by George Bellows in 1916.

Where can I see Fantasy?

Fantasy is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

Artwork

Fantasy

George Bellows , 1916

Fantasy is a print by George Bellows. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1916, *Fantasy* is a black‑and‑white print by American realist George Bellows. The work belongs to the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. It presents an interior scene illuminated by stark, uneven lighting that emphasizes the tension between the figures and their surroundings.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts two adults in a dimly lit room. One, dressed in a hat and coat, leans over a bed where a child lies swaddled beneath a blanket, while the other stands nearby, hand extended toward an unseen object. The ambiguous interaction and the chiaroscuro atmosphere suggest a narrative of concern or urgency within a private domestic space.

Technique & Style

Bellows employs pronounced chiaroscuro, contrasting deep shadows with bright highlights to direct the viewer’s gaze and heighten drama. The print’s strong tonal gradations and simplified forms reflect his realist approach, yet the exaggerated lighting lends the scene a theatrical quality that underscores emotional intensity.

History & Provenance

*Fantasy* was produced during Bellows’s mature period, when he was expanding beyond his well‑known urban scenes of New York. The print entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings, where it remains part of the institution’s American art collection, illustrating the breadth of Bellows’s printmaking output.

Artist & collection

Artist

George Bellows

George Wesley Bellows (August 12 or August 19, 1882 – January 8, 1925) was an American realist painter, known for his bold depictions of urban life in New York City.