George Luks

Happy Birthday George Luks!! Another American painter from 1867 was George Luks, a member of the group of New York painters called “The Eight”. He studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, beginning at age 17. He painted humans in settings reflecting their personalities. He had a flair for dramatic, dark qualities in his paint which superseded his use of color.  In the painting below, notice the small bits of color in the simple brushstrokes, defining the women's clothing and faces, as they congregate in the park with their charges tucked safely away, in the carriages. The scene is set against a value painting in greys and blue.

The Eight or The Ashcan School-A group led by Robert Henri, who challenged the guidelines of the dominant school, articulating a belief that painters should represent “life rather than style”.