Marching through Georgia 1908

Louis Glackens made "Marching through Georgia" with ink and color, maybe in the late 1800's. Look at the mark-making; it’s all about the gesture, each stroke of the pen is confident and full of attitude. It’s as if the drawing just happened in one go, flowing from the artist’s hand without hesitation. The color here is so interesting, isn’t it? The limited palette gives it a dreamlike quality, almost like a faded memory. The flatness of the surface, no attempt at creating depth or volume, which gives it this graphic punch. Take a look at the faces, how each one is so distinct, with these exaggerated expressions. The artist is clearly having fun with the process, exaggerating features and playing with stereotypes. This kind of caricature reminds me of some of Honoré Daumier’s work, in his lithographs, but Glackens adds his own distinctly American flavor. Ultimately, art is about the conversation it starts, the connections it makes across time and between different artists.