Ashcan School was a group of American artists of the early 1900’s known mainly for their realistic paintings of city life. The group revolted against the traditional, sentimental subject matter then fashionable in American art. It helped establish realism as an acceptable art style in the United States. The Ashcan School consisted of Arthur Bowen Davies, William Glackens, Robert Henri, Ernest Lawson, George Luks, Maurice Prendergast, Everett Shinn, and John Sloan.
The Ashcan School was originally called The Eight. It was formed by Henri in 1907 in New York City to oppose the conservative exhibition policies of many of the city’s art galleries. In 1908, the group held an exhibit that included paintings by Glackens, Henri, Luks, Shinn, and Sloan. Their works realistically showed city scenes, such as factories, slums, crowded streets, and night life. Critics called the group the Ashcan School because of the “down-to-earth” realistic subject matter. Three members did not paint in a realistic style. Davies painted dreamlike scenes. Lawson was an impressionist, and Prendergast painted in a partially abstract style.
