Members-Only Gallery Talk: Pioneering the Modern: The Glackens Family

About the Talk

Each month, members of our education, research, and curatorial teams present their ongoing research on the collection to members. These talks are a great way to learn more about your favorite artists in the collection. 

At the turn of the 20th century, a new vanguard of American painters began exploring uncharted artistic waters. Inspired by the French impressionist group’s break from dogmatic academic tradition in the 1870s, these American artists sought to capture modern life in bold and expressive ways. Among those leading the charge were William Glackens and Edith Dimock, a married couple—both artists—who had strong ties to Albert C. Barnes and the Barnes Foundation. Glackens and Dimock represented a generation of artists that turned away from the stifling scholasticism of the National Academy of Design while searching for a way of painting that was both uniquely American and modern. In this member talk, gallery specialist Andrew Boyer will trace the legacy of the Glackens family at the Barnes as well as the indelible mark they left in canon of American art.

This talk begins in the first-floor classroom of the Collection Gallery.