Three Rollers

George Bellows' "Three Rollers" explores the limits of realism in pursuit of expressive power. Best known for his vibrant portrayals of urban life, particularly boxing and street scenes, the artist here distills the energy of his urban scenes in natural, tempestuous terms. The painting depicts the coastline of Maine's Monhegan Island in surging, broad strokes that convey the mass and motion of his subjects: storm, land, and sea. The rollers of Bellows' title seem to describe the island's headlands more than the surf to which the term is normally applied.