“William J. Glackens and Pierre-Auguste Renoir: Affinities and Distinctions” will open Saturday, June 22, at Hunter Museum of American Art.
The exhibition will pair more than 20 works by each artist and explore the influence Renoir’s late work had on the career and artistic direction of Glackens, an American modernist.
Glackens (1870-1938) was known initially as an illustrator and painter of dark, somber street scenes. However, he also had a keen interest in and was increasingly influenced by the work of Renoir (1841-1919).
To some, Glackens was considered the American Renoir, to which he responded, “Can you think of a better man to follow than Renoir?”
This unique exhibition compares landscapes, still lifes and a broad selection of portraits by each artist, highlighting stylistic similarities and differences.
The exhibition begins in 1908, when Glackens first saw a monumental exhibition of Renoir’s work in America, and ends in 1935, when Glackens completed his last monumental painting.
Included in the exhibition are rarely-exhibited paintings as well as smaller etchings and lithographs showcasing parallel interests in subject, texture and brushstroke as well as in the vibrant color palette both Renoir and Glackens favored.
Such notable works as “The Soda Fountain” (1935) and “Artist’s Daughter in Chinese Costume” (1918) by Glackens and “Le jeune militaire” (c. 1880) and “Le baie du Moulin Huet, Guernesey” (c. 1883) by Renoir will be featured.
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Source: Hunter Museum of Art