While on vacation in Maine in the summer of 1916, George Bellows attended a local
prayer meeting and produced two variations of this theme. Deacon Smith stands front and
center, arm upraised and pointing heavenwards, testifying to a mostly uninterested
group of parishoners. The portly preacher stands at the far right, waiting to take
over the service once his deacon's impassioned oration is finished. The pianist flips
through her music, anticipating later events in the meeting.
