John Sloan, "A Woman's Work"

   This is one of those images that make me happy a few things have improved with time.   This painting was done in 1912 but it took another fifty years (and plus) before the automatic washer and drier were used in most American households.  Our artist is John Sloan (1871-1951) and he painted this scene after viewing it out his apartment window in New York City.   If you know this city, the exact location is East 22nd Street.   It is described as a tenement house, which is an apartment building owned by one person, divided into units which are rented out to others.  A tenement is usually thought of as a building meeting minimum standards required by a city for multiple occupancy.  

    This is an interesting time in American history.   Edith Warton wrote novels about life of the super elite, rich and photographer Lewis Hine was photographing young children forced into hard labor rather than attend school.  It must have been a time of extreme contrasts.  So along came a group of artists whose purpose was to show the world the life of the city, of the poor, working class.  And, John Sloan was it's leader.   They titled themselves, The Ashcan School.  

    Sloan was trained as a journalist and artist.  He began life in Pennsylvania and moved to New York City in 1904, shortly after he married.  He found success exhibiting, and after a few years, became an influential art teacher.  His most famous works are centered around this time in New York portraying social issues, the working class urbanites.  

    "A Woman's Work" is a favorite Sloan painting.  Isn't Monday usually wash day?  I have read that Sloan did this painting in March.  I wonder if the sun has just peaked out from clouds as the little sky we see looks rather grey.   Look at how the sun casts strong shadows on the hanging laundry against the building.  Not only has our subject hung up her laundry, but also her neighbor, and probably many more women in the neighborhood.  

   The composition is built on rectangles, with the mostly white laundries creating nice curves to the woman and her basket.  The neighbor's string of laundry shows a nice breeze as her whites blow to dry. The important thing about this composition, (with our subject heavy on the right side) is the amount of space dedicated to the building.  It is essential to balance out the format.  

   I am drawn to the window above our lady's laundry.  It is in soft focus, but I think we can see a potted plant inside on the sill.  Plus, notice another window and basket in the shadows below.  We have only one figure, but hints that there are multiple dwellers.  

    John Sloan created this oil on canvas in 1912.   It measures 38 inches high and 32 inches wide.  It is part of the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio.   

    Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.