Business Men's Class

1916

Business Men's Class, 1916. George Bellows (American, 1882–1925). Lithograph; sheet: 54.1 x 70 cm (21 5/16 x 27 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. 1936.630 This scene takes place at the West Side YMCA, where George Bellows lived when he arrived in New York City from Columbus, Ohio, in 1904. Worry about the potentially debilitating impact of sedentary office jobs inspired new forms of exercise, such as calisthenics. Here, we see the artist’s satirical eye, as men of various body types and abilities attempt to mimic the graceful movements of the instructor. The painter George Bellows resided at the West Side YMCA, where this scene takes place, which had 300 beds for men relocating to New York City.