Chester Dale
1922
George Bellows captures the formidable art collector Chester Dale in this striking 1922 portrait, wrapping him in a massive, colorful scarf that almost swallows his formal suit and bright red bow tie. As a leading figure of the American Realist movement, Bellows wasn't interested in merely flattering his subjects; instead, he gives Dale a somewhat stiff, intense gaze that hints at the serious financier behind the fashionable exterior. Dale was actually a major patron of the arts who eventually left his massive collection to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., where this very portrait now hangs. It's a fascinating look at the man who helped shape American art history, looking rather dapper with his walking stick and signature mustache!