Central Park, Winter

Philadelphia-born and educated William Glackens moved in 1895 to New York, where he continued to work as a successful newspaper and magazine illustrator. By 1904 he had given up illustration for painting. Yet his talent for quick characterization, gesture, and composition continued to influence his art, as seen in this incident-filled scene of a snowy day in Central Park. 

Glackens' subject matter and style changed throughout his life. Influenced by the work he saw during his time in Europe, from Hals and Manet to Frank Duveneck and the Impressionists, Glackens’ early work uses dark, dramatic colors and slashing, overlapping brushstrokes. Later he turned in blind love to Renoir; he still is criticized for his similarity to the artist. He was even branded an imitator. This change was made during the 1920s and 1930s:  “his once vigorous artistic personality had been blunted by too close an imitation of Renoir’s late style.” Glackens himself seems not to have been affected by any doubts about his own purpose and originality. His art did not reflect the social crises of the day, such as the Great Depression; rather, it offered a refuge from that darkness.

P.S. Happy Boxing Day everyone! Here are our Boxing Day paintings, they show the most beautiful (and totally free!) gifts you can offer to your loved ones. <3