Artwork
Ten Heads
Ten Heads is a chalk drawing by George Luks. It dates from 1905 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1905, *Ten Heads* is a black‑chalk drawing on wove paper by American artist George Luks. The work consists of a series of ten individual head studies, executed in a direct, observational manner.
Subject & Meaning
The studies portray ordinary individuals, likely drawn from the working‑class neighborhoods of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, reflecting Luks’s interest in everyday urban inhabitants.
Technique & Style
Luks employed a loose yet precise application of black chalk, allowing for rapid modeling of facial features while retaining a sense of immediacy. The medium’s tonal range supports the stark, unembellished representation characteristic of his realist approach.
History & Provenance
Before focusing on fine‑art painting, Luks worked as a newspaper illustrator and cartoonist in Philadelphia. He later joined the circle around Robert Henri, which opposed the conservative policies of the National Academy of Design, a context that informed the drawing’s subject matter and style.
Artist & collection
Artist
George Benjamin Luks (August 13, 1867 – October 29, 1933) was an American artist, identified with the aggressively realistic Ashcan School of American painting.
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