Photo Credit: John Schweikert
Winter Night, New York
© Estate of George Benjamin Luks
Luks was a member of The Eight, a group of eight artists who sought to advance the cause of Realism by rejecting the genteel subjects and colorful palette of Impressionism, preferring truthfully painted scenes of daily life in New York City. Luks and his cohorts were devoted to capturing even the harshest aspects of urban existence, frequently seeking their subjects in Manhattan’s roughest neighborhoods. This practice earned them the moniker “apostles of ugliness,” and they later formed the core of what would become known as the Ashcan School. Ever confident in his artistic skills—which included deft and rapid brushwork—Luks once bragged that he “could paint with a shoestring dipped in lard.” In Winter Night, New York—a nocturne punctuated by a dollop of white snow and a prominent yellow taxicab—Luks’s quick brushstrokes contribute to the feeling of the hustle and bustle as figures clad in dark winter coats crowd the sidewalk.
Exhibition Title: Asheville Art Museum: An Introduction to the Collection
Label Date: 2021
Type: Catalogue Entry
Written by: Graham Boettcher, PhD
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