Street Cleaners, Washington Square c. 1910

William James Glackens made this painting of Washington Square with oil on canvas. Just imagine him with his brushes and the thick impasto paint. You can almost feel the chill of the winter air. I see Glackens layering strokes of blues, yellows, and reds, all blending together to capture a bustling city scene. He wasn’t trying to make a perfect picture; he was showing you what it felt like to be there. The way he handled the paint—thick and kind of messy—tells you about movement and energy. It’s like he’s pushing and pulling you through the space. Glackens was part of a group called The Eight, artists who wanted to paint real life, not just fancy portraits or landscapes. They were inspired by artists like Manet, who also captured everyday life in their paintings. For me, looking at this painting is like having a conversation with Glackens and with all the painters who came before him, each of them trying to figure out what it means to capture a moment, a feeling, a place, with just some color and a brush.