Later work William Glackens

soda fountain, 1935

at time, millionaire-inventor albert c. barnes, classmate , friend central high school, began study , collect modern art. commissioned glackens buy him advanced works while on trip paris. glackens returned paris twenty paintings, included works cézanne, renoir, manet, , matisse, formed core of became barnes foundation collection. glackens advised barnes on later art movements , purchases. among new york artists, glackens known sophisticated eye , wide , cosmopolitan tastes. not surprisingly, less unnerved european modernism of 1913 armory show of ashcan colleagues saw exhibition threat american realist art.

in 1916, glackens served president of newly founded society of independent artists, mission provide broader exhibition opportunities lesser-known artists. continued travel france between 1925 , 1935 study work of impressionists , post-impressionists. paintings received gold medals annual exhibitions @ pennsylvania academy of fine arts in 1933 , again in 1936. in contrast many of friends among eight, such sloan , luks, personal lives turbulent , finances uncertain, glackens enjoyed happy marriage, contented home life, , steady career, though 1930s seen younger generation interested in abstraction, surrealism, , political art old-fashioned artist.