Student Artwork Guide — The Ermine Muff

Name Class Date

William James Glackens, The Ermine Muff (1903). 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 originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/william-james-glackens/
Artist’s dates: 1870 – 1938
Painted: 1903

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.

The Ermine Muff — William James Glackens

When was this painted?

1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
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.

Painted when the artist was 33. The artist lived to 68. 25 of the 157 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of William James Glackens (1870–1938) ▲ this work, 1903 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

Compare with

Central Park in Winter, 1905 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-central-park-in-winter-8XX67W-en/
Family group, 1911 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-family-group-8XXBKP-en/
May Day in Central Park, 1905 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-may-day-in-central-park-8YDFRT-en/

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: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/william-james-glackens-the-ermine-muff-AQQFK2-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Black #151214

Catalogued palette

#151214
#916D36
#E0DED3
#4A2E22

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

Palette: Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Black
Intensity: Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Gentle How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Muted 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 China 61.9%7,300 visits
2 United States of America 12.7%1,500 visits
3 Singapore 11.9%1,400 visits
4 Malaysia 5.9%700 visits
5 Hong Kong 2.5%300 visits
6 New Zealand 1.7%200 visits
7 United Kingdom 0.8%100 visits
8 Greece 0.8%100 visits
9 Sweden 0.8%100 visits
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 The Green Bonnet, 1913 6.1%800 visits
2 Music Hall Turn (study), 1918 3.0%400 visits
3 Italo-American Celebration, Washington Square, 1912 3.0%400 visits
4 Julia Reading, 1916 3.0%400 visits
5 The Ermine Muff, 1903 this painting 3.0%400 visits
6 Mahone Bay, 1911 2.3%300 visits
7 Lenna at One Year, 1914 2.3%300 visits
8 Bathers at Play, Study 2, 1914 2.3%300 visits
9 Lake Bathers, 1920 2.3%300 visits
10 Treading Calms, Wickford, 1909 2.3%300 visits
11 Lenna with Rabbit Hound, 1922 2.3%300 visits
12 Girl with Fox Furs, 1909 2.3%300 visits
13 Park on the River, 1902 2.3%300 visits
14 Bathing at Bellport, Long Island, 1912 2.3%300 visits
15 L'Apertif, 1926 2.3%300 visits
16 Château-Thierry, 1906 2.3%300 visits
17 The Conservatory (also known as Lenna and Her Mother in the Conservatory), 1917 1.5%200 visits
18 The Shoppers, 1907 1.5%200 visits
19 Cape Code Pier, 1908 1.5%200 visits
20 Hammerstein's Roof Garden, 1901 1.5%200 visits

Together these works take 49.4% 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 ranks 5 of them, with 3.0% of that attention (400 visits). 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.

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

The artist William James Glackens originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/william-james-glackens/
Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/william-james-glackens-the-ermine-muff-AQQFK2-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for The Ermine Muff

originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/william-james-glackens-the-ermine-muff-AQQFK2-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Glackens, William James. The Ermine Muff. 1903, https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-the-ermine-muff-AQQFK2-en/
APA: Glackens, William James (1903). The Ermine Muff [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-the-ermine-muff-AQQFK2-en/
Chicago: William James Glackens. The Ermine Muff. 1903. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-the-ermine-muff-AQQFK2-en/
Harvard: Glackens, William James (1903) The Ermine Muff. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/william-james-glackens-the-ermine-muff-AQQFK2-en/

The Ermine Muff — William James Glackens

Look closely

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

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
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.
William James Glackens was about 33 when this was made. What in it looks like the work of an artist at that stage?
What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

Your response

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

Questions & Answers

What is the perceived brightness of "The Ermine Muff" by William James Glackens?

The perceived brightness of "The Ermine Muff" by William James Glackens is deep_shadow. It can be matched to the light of the intended space.

Who created "The Ermine Muff" and in what year?

William James Glackens made "The Ermine Muff" in 1903.

Is a download available for "The Ermine Muff"?

A download is available for "The Ermine Muff": the artwork's Download page offers a high-resolution digital image download.