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Student Artwork Guide

Umbrellas

William James Glackens

Name Class Date
William James Glackens, Umbrellas. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
William James Glackens topimpressionists.com/en/artists/william-james-glackens/
Artist’s dates
1870 – 1938
Movement
Impressionism Painters working fast and outdoors to catch how light actually looked at one moment, rather than finishing smoothly in a studio.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. William James Glackens died in 1938; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2008.

Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

Umbrellas — William James Glackens Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Umbrellas — William James Glackens

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1870
  2. 1880
  3. 1890
  4. 1900
  5. 1910
  6. 1920
  7. 1930

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 68 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of William James Glackens (1870–1938) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1906 Main working years: 1906–1918 Late works: from 1918

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/william-james-glackens-umbrellas-8XZ77J-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Rosy Brown #a4a0c2

    Catalogued palette

    • #A4A0C2
    • #CDA167
    • #80865F
    • #E3CBBE

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Neutrals The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Rosy Brown
    Intensity
    Vivid How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Serene How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Discordant Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Brilliant How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by William James Glackens over the last twelve months — 10 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 61.9%7,300 visits
    2. 2 United States of America 12.7%1,500 visits
    3. 3 Singapore 11.9%1,400 visits
    4. 4 Malaysia 5.9%700 visits
    5. 5 Hong Kong 2.5%300 visits
    6. 6 New Zealand 1.7%200 visits
    7. 7 United Kingdom 0.8%100 visits
    8. 8 Greece 0.8%100 visits
    9. 9 Sweden 0.8%100 visits
    10. 10 Türkiye 0.8%100 visits

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by William James Glackens

    1. 1 The Green Bonnet, 1913 6.1%800 visits
    2. 2 Music Hall Turn (study), 1918 3.0%400 visits
    3. 3 Italo-American Celebration, Washington Square, 1912 3.0%400 visits
    4. 4 Julia Reading, 1916 3.0%400 visits
    5. 5 The Ermine Muff, 1903 3.0%400 visits
    6. 6 Mahone Bay, 1911 2.3%300 visits
    7. 7 Lenna at One Year, 1914 2.3%300 visits
    8. 8 Bathers at Play, Study 2, 1914 2.3%300 visits
    9. 9 Lake Bathers, 1920 2.3%300 visits
    10. 10 Treading Calms, Wickford, 1909 2.3%300 visits
    11. 11 Lenna with Rabbit Hound, 1922 2.3%300 visits
    12. 12 Girl with Fox Furs, 1909 2.3%300 visits
    13. 13 Park on the River, 1902 2.3%300 visits
    14. 14 Bathing at Bellport, Long Island, 1912 2.3%300 visits
    15. 15 L'Apertif, 1926 2.3%300 visits
    16. 16 Château-Thierry, 1906 2.3%300 visits
    17. 17 The Conservatory (also known as Lenna and Her Mother in the Conservatory), 1917 1.5%200 visits
    18. 18 The Shoppers, 1907 1.5%200 visits
    19. 19 Cape Code Pier, 1908 1.5%200 visits
    20. — Umbrellas this painting 0.0%0 visits

    Together these works take 47.9% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 182 works by this artist, of which 77 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

    Umbrellas — William James Glackens Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    William James Glackens

    Born in Philadelphia, United States of America

    a pioneer of the ashcan school

    william james glackens, a prominent figure in american art, left an indelible mark on the canvas of history with his captivating realist paintings. born in philadelphia, pennsylvania, in 1870, glackens' artistic journey was a testament to his unwavering passion for capturing the essence of everyday life.

    early life and influences

    glackens' early years were marked by an innate inclination towards art, which led him to enroll at the pennsylvania academy of the fine arts. under the tutelage of thomas anshutz, a renowned realist, glackens honed his skills, eventually becoming one of the founders of the ashcan school. this movement rejected the conventional boundaries of artistic beauty, instead focusing on the gritty realities of metropolitan life.

    artistic career

    glackens' work is characterized by its dark-hued, vibrantly painted street scenes and depictions of daily life in pre-wwi new york and paris. his later pieces, influenced by renoir, showcased a brighter tone, reflecting his growth as an artist. notably, glackens also worked as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines in philadelphia and new york city.

    view of haarlem with bleaching grounds, a painting by jacob isaakszoon van ruisdael (ruysdael), exemplifies the level of detail and craftsmanship that defines glackens' work. this piece is now part of the collection at the chrysler museum of art.

    glackens' own masterpiece, the shoppers, is a testament to his skill in capturing the essence of urban life. this painting can be found in the new realism collection at AllPaintingsStore.com.

    legacy and impact

    glackens' contributions to american art are multifaceted, extending beyond his own work. he played a pivotal role in helping albert c. barnes acquire european paintings for the barnes foundation in philadelphia. this collection has become a cornerstone of american art history. key works and collections: the shoppers (new realism, oil on canvas, chrysler museum of art) view of haarlem with bleaching grounds (ruysdael, sforza castle, milan, italy) recommended reading: * [https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/william-james-glackens](https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/william-james-glackens) - explore the extensive collection of glackens' work on AllPaintingsStore.com. * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/william_glackens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/william_glackens) - delve into the detailed biography of william james glackens on wikipedia.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Umbrellas

    topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/william-james-glackens-umbrellas-8XZ77J-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Glackens, William James. Umbrellas. n.d., https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-umbrellas-8XZ77J-en/
    APA
    Glackens, William James (n.d.). Umbrellas [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-umbrellas-8XZ77J-en/
    Chicago
    William James Glackens. Umbrellas. n.d. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-umbrellas-8XZ77J-en/
    Harvard
    Glackens, William James (n.d.) Umbrellas. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-umbrellas-8XZ77J-en/

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

    Umbrellas — William James Glackens Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Umbrellas — William James Glackens

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. How many faces can you find? ____ (our catalogue counts 5 — do you agree?)
    4. Our catalogue files this work under: outdoor leisure, summer scene art, urban resort life. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    5. Look back at Central Park in Winter (1905), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Oct. 8, 2026

    Umbrellas — William James Glackens Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    Where can I download "Umbrellas" by William James Glackens?

    "Umbrellas" by William James Glackens can be downloaded from the artwork's Download page, as a high-resolution digital image download.

    Can the image of "Umbrellas" by William James Glackens be freely reproduced?

    Regarding copyright, "Umbrellas" is in the public domain - its copyright has expired.

    What kind of colors does "Umbrellas" use?

    The colors of "Umbrellas" form a neutrals palette. This classification describes the dominant color families.