Born in Philadelphia in 1870, William Glackens began his career at Philadelphia's Central High School with John Sloan. In 1891 he became an artist-reporter for the "Philadelphia Record." He continued to work as an illustrator from 1892 to 1895 for the "Philadelphia Press" with John Sloan, George Luks and Everett Shinn. He studied briefly at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with Thomas Anshutz and then shared a studio and traveled in Europe with Robert Henri. There he painted many scenes of modern life in Paris's parks and cafes.

William Glackens settled in New York, worked as an illustrator, and was part of "The Eight," a landmark exhibition of urban realists at the Macbeth Galleries. Early in his painting career, he painted numerous scenes of Washington Square and Central Park but then turned to beach scenes. The early work of Glackens, following Henri's lead, maintained "strong ties to Edouard Manet's darkened palette and brushy style of realism." After 1910, Glacken's palette began to brighten in response to his strong admiration of the work of the French Impressionists such as Pierre August Renoir. In 1919, Glackens began sharing a studio with artist Robert Henri, and the friendship changed the course of his life. Henri encouraged Glackens to pursue a full-time career as a professional artist. Unfortunately, Glackens died suddenly in 1938 while visiting Charles Prendergast in Westport, Connecticut.