Garden with Birdbath by William James Glackens

William James Glackens
1870-1938 | American

Garden with Birdbath

Signed "W. Glackens" and inscribed on original label (en verso)
Oil on canvas

William James Glackens was one of the pioneering members of the Ashcan School in the early 20th century, among the most important American art movements of the modern era. Unlike his somber earlier canvases, this stunning work, Garden with Birdbath shows the vibrant color and exuberant brushwork which would earn him the nickname of "The American Renoir."

This painting exemplifies Glackens’ distinctive approach to landscape, in which color and atmosphere take precedence over strict naturalism. His animated brushstrokes perfectly evoke the lushness of a verdant garden, and his luminous palette creates a sense of movement and dynamism that is absolutely mesmerizing. Such scenes are significant for demonstrating how Glackens brilliantly merged the influence of the French Impressionists with his distinctly American perspective.

Born in Philadelphia in 1870, Glackens showed talent for art and illustration at an early age. After graduating from high school, he was an artist-illustrator for several Philadelphia newspapers, while studying nights at the renowned Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. There, he met George Luks, John Sloan and Everett Shinn, who were all organized around the charismatic figure of Robert Henri—the founder of the Ashcan School.

Throughout his artistic career, Glackens adapted French stylistic strategies to suit his own vision. He first went to Europe in 1895, together with Robert Henri, where he was especially influenced by the Impressionist masterworks of Renoir and Monet. In 1907, Glackens was one of the organizers of the landmark exhibition "The Eight," which was held as a protest against the narrow-minded exhibition policies of the National Academy of Design. The Ashcan School evolved from this groundbreaking exhibition, though Glackens' impressionistic style set him apart from his contemporaries. Today, his works can be found in important public collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Phillips Collection, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and many others.

Canvas: 10 1/8" high x 13" wide (25.72 x 33.02 cm)
Frame: 19" high x 22" wide x 3 3/4" deep (48.26 x 55.88 x 9.53 cm)

Provenance:
Kraushaar Galleries, New York
Andrew Crispo Gallery, Inc., New York
Dr. and Mrs. Louis A. Hazouri
By gift to Columbus Museum, Georgia, 1980
Private Collection, United States

Exhibited:
Albany, Georgia, Albany Museum of Art, Pride in Place: Landscapes by The Eight in Southern Collections, January-March 2000; this exhibition also traveled to: Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery Museum of Fine Art; Laurel, Mississippi, Lauren Rogers Museum of Art; and Nashville, Tennessee, Cheekwood Museum of Art