Central Park in Winter 1905

William James Glackens made this painting of Central Park in Winter with oil on canvas. Look at how the painter's hand has moved, almost dancing across the surface. You can see the layers, the decisions, the build-up of marks that capture this moment. I imagine Glackens out there in the cold, trying to record the light as it fades. What was he thinking as he laid down those blues and browns, capturing the energy of the city even in the stillness of winter? See how the strokes of paint are visible. I really love the figures, they are smudgy and so full of life. The application of paint isn't thin, it is juicy in places, with textures that mimic the feeling of snow. Glackens was part of a group of artists called "The Eight," and they were known for painting everyday life. You see this in the work of artists like John Sloan and Robert Henri, and you see it here, in the painting of winter in Central Park. Painting is about this ongoing exchange, about seeing what others have done and trying to find your own way of saying something.