Artists Judging Works of Art

Although handled with humor, this lithograph addresses the controversial issue of juried exhibitions. During this period, artists' work often had to be approved by a jury of his or her peers before it would be allowed in prominent exhibitions. Bellows's image suggests the futility of "jury duty," by satirizing his fellow artists who seem either disinterested in the art around them or overly interested in ogling the woman in the large painting near the center of the composition. Many artists, including Bellows and John Sloan, felt that the jury system discriminated against younger artists and sought to do away with it. However, Bellows indicted himself by including a self-portrait as the balding man standing on the far right.