Portrait Study of a Man

American painter George Luks was a member of the Ashcan school, a group of realist painters known for their depictions of everyday street life in New York, often of coarse subject matter. At the turn of the century, Luks began to adopt the style of fellow Ashcan painter Robert Henri, who was known for a broad application of black chalk or charcoal. This drawing presents a confident gentleman in jacket and tie composed of heavy, diagonal strokes of black chalk, which is starkly juxtaposed to the refined features of the sitter's face.