Legs of the Sea
George Bellows (1882-1925), Legs of the Sea, lithograph, 1921, signed in pencil lower right, signed by the printer Bolton Brown and annotated “imp” (impressit) lower left [also initialed in the plate]. Reference: Mason 85, only state, edition of 53. In very good condition, with margins (hinging at upper corners showing through slightly), 8 1/2 x 11 1/4, the sheet 9 3/4 x 12 1/8 inches.
Provenance: H.V. Allison and Company, 11 East 57th Street, New York; with their label on mat verso.
A fine fresh impression.
Legs of the Sea depicts Third Beach in Newport, Rhode Island; Bellows and his family summered for two seasons in Rhode Island, where he made a number of sketches which were re-worked into paintings and four lithographs: another bathing lithograph (Bathing Beach, Mason 86), and his two tennis lithographs (Mason 71 and 72).
Two related drawings for Legs of the Sea are in the Wiggin Collection, Boston Public Library.
Detail