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31. GEORGE LUKS. Mrs. Gamely, 1930. Whitney Museum of American Art.

ARTISTS OF THE PHILADELPHIA PRESS
PREFATORY NOTE

The newspaper, the Philadelphia Press, was founded in 1857. It was for many years Philadelphia's leading newspaper but it printed its last edition on October 1, 1920 and was absorbed the next day by The Philadelphia Public Ledger. In the decade before the turn of the century and for a few years afterwards Glackens, Luks, Shinn and Sloan all worked for the Press. All Pennsylvania born (except Shinn, who came from nearby Woodstown, New Jersey), it was during this period that they met one another and that they all in some degree came under the influence and guidance of Robert Henri, then teaching in Philadelphia. Henri, with his unerring eye for detecting talent, realized at once that these four were artist-illustrators of unusual ability. It was he who, in a large measure, urged them into more ambitious channels, suggesting that working in oil, while less rewarding financially, would in the end bring them the fame they deserved.
As their abilities increased, all four painters widened their horizons and because the world looked bigger in New York they inevitably moved there. Glackens and Luks had already been in Cuba reporting the Spanish-American War. With the exception of Sloan, they all later made several trips to Europe.
Sloan, to this day, has persistently refused to travel beyond the United States and perhaps for this reason has retained a more directly American slant. If the early work of Shinn reminds us of Toulouse-Lautrec, if the later work of Glackens suggests his love of Renoir, and the entire career of Luks seems to mirror his admiration for certain Dutch masters, this is surely but the sympathetic reflection of sensitive minds, and we now see something distinctly American and definitely personal in even their more derivative moments. The shadow of Paris and London has been heavy on American painting throughout its short history and only the strongest have emerged from this shadow. It is the synthesis of the personal traits of strong painters such as the four included in this exhibition that has helped for the main stream of what we not recognize as American painting. In each we feel deeply the American spirit. Much of the early 20th century nationalism which they have handed on has seemed as a solid basis and point de depart for the more international scope of the present generation. In the dazzling Utopia of the global future let us hope that the valleys will occasionally ring with the clipped twang of American brevity and wit.
The present exhibition does not confine itself to the Philadelphia period of the four artists but includes examples from all periods. While the catalogue list is of the oils and pastels only, watercolours and drawings also form part of the exhibition as well as a group of prints, assembled by Carl Zigrosser, Curator of Prints, concerning which a note has been appended to the catalogue.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is extremely indebted to the many Museums, Galleries, and private collectors who have so generously lent to this exhibition. The Museum also wishes to thank very especially Mrs. William J. Glackens, the widow of the painter, for her interest as well as her many loans; Mr. Everett Shinn and Mr. John Sloan for their stimulating advice and excellent forewords to this catalogue; Mrs. Juliana Force for much sage counsel and enthusiasm; Miss Antoinette Kraushaar for her indefatigable industry and information which was an invaluable aid in assembling the exhibition, and Miss Barbara Sweeny for her tireless zeal in helping compose the catalogue.
HENRY CLIFFORD