River Bank c. 1920

William James Glackens made this painting, River Bank, with oil on canvas. It’s a riot of color and texture, a real testament to the joy of putting paint to canvas. The brushstrokes are so free and loose, creating a sense of movement and energy. You can almost feel the breeze rustling through the trees and the water flowing by. Look closely at the way Glackens layers the paint, building up these gorgeous, thick impasto areas that catch the light. See that leaning branch? It looks like he might have used a palette knife to give it a rough texture. It’s these kinds of details that make the painting so alive. It’s not about perfection or precision; it’s about capturing a feeling, a moment in time. It reminds me a bit of the early work of Maurice Prendergast, who also had this amazing sense of color and a love for capturing everyday life in his paintings. It's all part of that beautiful, ongoing conversation that artists have with each other across time.