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George Luks Art

American, 1867-1933
George Luks was an American realist painter and comic illustrator, best known for his images of New York City and its inhabitants. Born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Luks worked as a vaudeville performer before moving to Philadelphia to study art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He traveled through Europe, where he attended several art schools and developed a particular admiration for Diego Velázquez, Frans Hals, and Édouard Manet. Even before leaving for Europe, Luks was publishing comic illustrations in Puck and Truth, and upon his return in 1893 he accepted a job as a newspaper illustrator at the Philadelphia Press. In 1896, the Press sent him to Cuba as a special correspondent to cover the mounting tensions there. Working at the Press, Luks befriended Everett Shinn, William Glackens, John Sloan, and Robert Henri. In 1896 Luks moved to New York City and began to work as an illustrator for Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. He drew the comic strip Hogan's Alley after the strip’s originator Frederick Opper was lured away to William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal. Though capable of picturesque urban scenes (like those that his friends Shinn and Glackens specialized in), Luks excelled as a broad comic artist, drawing single and multi-panel cartoons for newspapers and magazines, and working as a political cartoonist for the magazine Verdict. In the 1920s, Luks drew comic sketches for Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. As a painter, Luks found inspiration in New York City, often depicting the streets and denizens of the Lower East Side, subjects which gained him little favor with art critics and jurors steeped in the genteel tradition. He painted thickly, often laying his paint on the canvas with a palette knife. In 1907, the rejection of one of his canvasses from a juried exhibition at the National Academy of Design spurred the organization of a protest exhibition the following year at Macbeth Gallery. This watershed exhibition would become known as the exhibition of "The Eight" for the eight painters who collaborated to put it together. Known for his big personality and love of liquor, Luks was a vocal proponent of American painting in the early 20th century.
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"Bread and Jam" George Luks, Ashcan Painting, Portrait of Child
"Bread and Jam" George Luks, Ashcan Painting, Portrait of Child

"Bread and Jam" George Luks, Ashcan Painting, Portrait of Child

By George Luks

Located in New York, NY

George Luks Bread and Jam, circa 1920-1925 Oil on canvas 16 x 13 inches Born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in 1866, George Luks attended the school of the Pennsylvania Academy of ...

Category

1920s American Realist George Luks Art

Materials

Oil

George Luks - Backyard in Greenwich Village
George Luks - Backyard in Greenwich Village

George Luks - Backyard in Greenwich Village

By George Luks

Located in Tarzana, CA

George Luks (1867-1933) Backyard in Greenwich Village Oil on canvas Dimensions Sight: Width 11 1/2” Height 9 3/4” Signed lower left Excellent Condition

Category

Early 20th Century American George Luks Art

Materials

Canvas

Portrait of an Old Man

Portrait of an Old Man

By George Luks

Located in Miami, FL

Painted from life with bravura brush strokes, Luks captures the essence of the sitter. Work is unframed.

Category

Early 1900s George Luks Art

Materials

Oil

Forest Landscape, Oil on Canvas, Ashcan School, Signed, 20th Century
Forest Landscape, Oil on Canvas, Ashcan School, Signed, 20th Century

Forest Landscape, Oil on Canvas, Ashcan School, Signed, 20th Century

By George Luks

Located in New York, NY

Landscape by George Luks (1867-1933) Oil on canvas 11 x 14 inches unframed (27.94 x 35.56 cm) Signed lower left Description: George Luks was an American artist originally born in Pe...

Category

20th Century Ashcan School George Luks Art

Materials

Oil

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Previously Available Items
"An Actor" George Luks, Ashcan Portrait, Interior Scene of Seated Actor
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Cape Elizabeth - Maine - American Realist Seascape Oil Painting by George Luks

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Industrial Landscape

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Cart and Horse
Cart and Horse

Cart and Horse

By George Luks

Located in Fairlawn, OH

Signed lower right Provenance: Kennedy Galleries, New York (label, No. 7477) See photo Charles G. Thalhimer, Richmond, VA Note: The present painting may well be related to the painting The Hitch Team (Horses in the Snow...

Category

Early 1900s Ashcan School George Luks Art

Materials

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George Luks art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic George Luks art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by George Luks in oil paint, paint, crayon and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large George Luks art, so small editions measuring 14 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Alexander Oscar Levy, and Arthur Bowen Davies. George Luks art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,250 and tops out at $48,000, while the average work can sell for $21,750.

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