New Year's Shooter
1917
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design
Accession Number
1943.11.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
**New Year's Shooter** (1917) by George Luks captures the exuberant spirit of urban celebration in early 20th-century New York. Painted by a key figure in the Ashcan School group of realist artists who embraced gritty, everyday American life—Luks depicts a male figure, likely immersed in raucous New Year's festivities. The title evokes the tradition of "shooting the New Year," where revelers fired guns or fireworks to mark the occasion, often amid immigrant neighborhoods alive with smoke, cheers, and camaraderie. Tags noting "New Years, Figure male, smoking" highlight this snapshot of holiday ...