In an Elevator (1916): Art, History and Details

In an Elevator (1916) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is George Bellows (American, 1882–1925).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Elevators, in 1916 as today, often inspire awkward social interactions. George Bellows himself described this print as a “study of the relation of a nun to society.” The Old World European values and modesty of the nun contrast to the younger, more boisterous passengers, who give wide berth to her dominating physical and moral presence.

Object facts

• Title: In an Elevator
• Date: 1916
• Creator attribution: George Bellows (American, 1882–1925)
• Culture: America
• Type: Print
• Technique: lithograph
• Dimensions: Platemark: 25.3 x 20.3 cm (9 15/16 x 8 in.); Sheet: 32.8 x 26.9 cm (12 15/16 x 10 9/16 in.)
• Collection: PR - Lithograph
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 1936.606

A detail from the museum

The young African American man in this image is the elevator operator, responsible for manually operating the lift.

Collection credit

Gift of Leonard C. Hanna Jr.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.