“The Eight” – Ashcan School
The Ashcan School was a realist artistic movement that came into prominence in the United States during the early 20th century, best known for works portraying scenes of daily life in New York’s poorer neighborhoods. In 1908, the Macbeth Gallery in New York mounted an independent exhibition of artists who became known as “The Eight,” consisting of Arthur B. Davies, Maurice Prendergast, Ernest Lawson, William Glackens, Everett Shinn, John Sloan, and George Luks. This show was a milestone in modern American painting and defied the constraints of traditional academic painting. “The Eight” were known for their gritty, realistic representations of urban development in and around New York City.
Information courtesy of Heritage Auction Galleries, November, 2008.