Who painted The Drunk?

The Drunk was painted by George Bellows in 1924.

Where can I see The Drunk?

The Drunk is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

The Drunk by George Bellows (1924) — Meaning & Museum

About this work

The painting shows a drunk father confronting his wife with a fist.
The scene is disturbing, with a daughter trying to help and children cowering in the corner. It was made to support Prohibition, which had recently gone into effect.
The artist used this image to make a point about social issues, and to learn more, you can look up artist: George Bellows (American, 1882–1925).

Overview

George Bellows’ lithograph titled The Drunk was created as an illustration for a Good Housekeeping article advocating Prohibition.

George Bellows’ lithograph titled The Drunk was created as an illustration for a Good Housekeeping article advocating Prohibition. The image depicts a domestic scene in which an inebriated father raises his fist toward his wife, while a daughter intervenes and younger children shrink back in fear. The work was intended to underscore the social harms attributed to alcohol consumption during the early 1920s.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents a stark portrayal of familial violence linked to drunkenness, reflecting contemporary arguments that alcohol fueled domestic abuse and broader social disorder. By showing the father’s aggression, the daughter’s protective gesture, and the children’s terror, Bellows visualizes the perceived moral urgency behind the temperance movement’s call for nationwide prohibition.

Technique & Style

Bellows employs a strong triangular arrangement that guides the viewer’s eye across the figures, a hallmark of the dynamic symmetry theory he admired. The lithographic medium allows bold, contrasting lines and dense shading, emphasizing the tension and movement within the cramped interior space while maintaining a balanced visual flow.

History & Provenance

The print was produced in 1920, shortly after the eighteenth amendment instituted Prohibition in the United States. Commissioned by suffragist Mabel Potter Daggett, it appeared in Good Housekeeping to support the temperance cause. The work later entered museum collections as an example of Bellows’ socially engaged printmaking during the early twentieth century.

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.