William Glackens
American
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1870 - 1938, Westport, Connecticut)
The group of early twentieth-century American painters known as The Eight was instrumental in creating a new climate in American art. By abandoning the conventional approach to landscape, nature and the academy aesthetic, The Eight precipitated a shift to the acceptance of Modernism that was to characterize much of the art of the twentieth century. A key member of this group was William J. Glackens, a painter whose work was stylistically eclectic, and steeped in an appreciation for contemporary French art of that period, particularly French Impressionism. Glackens was a part of the circle of artists including Robert Henri (1865–1929), John Sloan (1871–1951), George Luks (1867–1933) and Everett Shinn (1876–1953) who began their art careers in Philadelphia, but relocated to New York to become the nucleus of The Eight. Glackens was a newspaper illustrator who joined Luks, Sloan and Shinn in studying art with Thomas Anshutz (1851–1912) at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts between 1892 and 1893. After fifteen months in Europe around 1895, Glackens became an illustrator with the "New York World." He continued to produce illustrations for periodicals and other newspapers through the period of the Spanish-American War. In the early first decade of the century Glackens’ paintings were most influenced in color and technique by his exposure to the art that he experienced during his European sojourn—primarily that of Edouard Manet (French, 1832–1883) and James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903)—and by the mentorship of Robert Henri. However his association with two other members of the Eight, Ernest Lawson (1873–1939) and Maurice Prendergast (1858–1924), sparked an increased interest in the work and techniques of the French Impressionists. By about 1910, his work was transformed and he subsequently took on many of the stylistic characteristics of one of the chief of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French, 1881–1919). (1) His choice of subjects also reflected the Impressionists, with an emphasis on scenes of leisure in recreation areas such as public parks and beaches, floral still-lifes, portraits and figure scenes.
(1) See William H. Gerdts, "American Impressionism" (New York: Abbeville Press, Publishers, 1984), pp. 278–81. Scholars note that the influence of the Impressionists is apparent in Glackens’ work as early as 1906, but it was not until about six years later that his work took on strong stylistic characteristics reminiscent of Renoir. They also link this change in style to Glackens’ relationship with the collector Albert Barnes; both were great admirers of Renoir. In 1912, Glackens began advising Barnes on the assembly of his collection and his first acquisition was a Renoir.
See "Adventures in Collecting: American Paintings from the Collections of Charles and Babette Wampold and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts," Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama, 2006, p. 27.
American
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1870 - 1938, Westport, Connecticut)
The group of early twentieth-century American painters known as The Eight was instrumental in creating a new climate in American art. By abandoning the conventional approach to landscape, nature and the academy aesthetic, The Eight precipitated a shift to the acceptance of Modernism that was to characterize much of the art of the twentieth century. A key member of this group was William J. Glackens, a painter whose work was stylistically eclectic, and steeped in an appreciation for contemporary French art of that period, particularly French Impressionism. Glackens was a part of the circle of artists including Robert Henri (1865–1929), John Sloan (1871–1951), George Luks (1867–1933) and Everett Shinn (1876–1953) who began their art careers in Philadelphia, but relocated to New York to become the nucleus of The Eight. Glackens was a newspaper illustrator who joined Luks, Sloan and Shinn in studying art with Thomas Anshutz (1851–1912) at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts between 1892 and 1893. After fifteen months in Europe around 1895, Glackens became an illustrator with the "New York World." He continued to produce illustrations for periodicals and other newspapers through the period of the Spanish-American War. In the early first decade of the century Glackens’ paintings were most influenced in color and technique by his exposure to the art that he experienced during his European sojourn—primarily that of Edouard Manet (French, 1832–1883) and James McNeill Whistler (American, 1834–1903)—and by the mentorship of Robert Henri. However his association with two other members of the Eight, Ernest Lawson (1873–1939) and Maurice Prendergast (1858–1924), sparked an increased interest in the work and techniques of the French Impressionists. By about 1910, his work was transformed and he subsequently took on many of the stylistic characteristics of one of the chief of the Impressionists, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French, 1881–1919). (1) His choice of subjects also reflected the Impressionists, with an emphasis on scenes of leisure in recreation areas such as public parks and beaches, floral still-lifes, portraits and figure scenes.
(1) See William H. Gerdts, "American Impressionism" (New York: Abbeville Press, Publishers, 1984), pp. 278–81. Scholars note that the influence of the Impressionists is apparent in Glackens’ work as early as 1906, but it was not until about six years later that his work took on strong stylistic characteristics reminiscent of Renoir. They also link this change in style to Glackens’ relationship with the collector Albert Barnes; both were great admirers of Renoir. In 1912, Glackens began advising Barnes on the assembly of his collection and his first acquisition was a Renoir.
See "Adventures in Collecting: American Paintings from the Collections of Charles and Babette Wampold and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts," Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, Alabama, 2006, p. 27.
Artist Objects
