Innocence

When this painting was shown in New York City in 1916, a reviewer commented: “In work of an uninspired artist you can speak of this or that subject as a ‘type,’ but Mr. Luks does not paint types—he paints the individual. And it is not a likeness, but an ideal, as seen in Innocence.” The subject’s frank, frontal pose and the lively brushstrokes are characteristic of Luks, who was excited by the vitality of all aspects of contemporary urban life.