1961.50
A Window on the Street
Artist
John Sloan
(Loch Haven, Pennsylvania, 8/27/1871 - 9/7/1951, Hanover, New Hampshire)
Title
A Window on the Street
Creation Date
1912
Century
20th century
Dimensions
26 in. x 32 in. (66 cm x 81.28 cm)
Object Type
painting
Creation Place
North America, United States
Medium and Support
oil on canvas
Credit Line
Bequest of George Otis Hamlin
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
1961.50
In 1904, John Sloan moved from Philadelphia to New York to nurture his artistic career and in time became associated with the Ashcan School, a group of modern artists who aimed to portray the life of everyday Americans. In this painting, Sloan turns viewers away from the street and instead asks us to consider those who inhabit the city. Sloan focuses our attention solely on a young woman looking out her window. The contrast of her pale skin and the darker, less visible interior of her apartment creates a sense of melancholy. In comparison to Martin Lewis’ Shadow Dance, on view nearby, which highlights the bright vitality of the street, A Window on the Street depicts how a city can be an isolating place.