The work of an influential 20th-century American artist and his students is on display at the Delaware Art Museum.
John Sloan rose to prominence in the early 20th Century as a member of the Ashcan School – a group of New York-based artists who portrayed realistic slices of life in the big city.
“He is known for painting everyday life in New York, particularly women moving through the city and the architecture of the city – the amusements, particularly, of the city," said Heather Campbell Coyle, curator of American Art at the Delaware Art Museum.
But Sloan was more than an artist – he was also a very influential teacher.
“He certainly absorbs many students into his life, has lifelong friendships with some of them, collects their art," she said
Those students went on to be influential American artists in their own right. Heather Campbell Coyle is curator of American Art at the museum.
“I think it's a really interesting cross-section of modern American art that's being made by artists who sort of come out of the same milieu and go in very different directions," Campbell Coyle said.
The work of those students is the focus of the exhibition, along with some works by Sloan. The museum has the largest collection of Sloan’s work in the world, including paintings, drawings, letters, and memorabilia.
“John Sloan and his Students” is on display at the Delaware Art Museum through August 24.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
