Leaf & Spine

Cover art · city

Business Men's Class

George Bellows (American, 1882–1925), 1916.

Business Men's Class
Business Men's Class — Cleveland Museum of Art

Using it on a cover

The print file prints up to 11.3 x 7.9 in at 300 ppi — enough for a full 6 x 9 in front cover. Wider than a 6 x 9 cover: crop about 54% of the width, or use it as a wraparound across back and spine.

About the work

This scene takes place at the West Side YMCA, where George Bellows lived when he arrived in New York City from Columbus, Ohio, in 1904. Worry about the potentially debilitating impact of sedentary office jobs inspired new forms of exercise, such as calisthenics. Here, we see the artist’s satirical eye, as men of various body types and abilities attempt to mimic the graceful movements of the instructor.

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