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This is the case with Snowstorm in the Village from 1925. The etching shows Greenwich Village in the midst of a heavy snowstorm. In the upper right, the iconic tower of the Jefferson Market Courthouse is shrouded in snow. Various building facades follow a diagonal line from the courthouse building to the lower left corner. Paralleling the buildings is an elevated train, plowing powerfully through the storm. Above the train and the buildings, the snow swirls in wind-whipped eddies through the air. Sloan conveys this impression with countless sweeping etched lines.
Another result of the bird’s-eye perspective in Sloan’s later work is that people appear far less prominently. In Snowstorm in the Village, a few tiny figures are visible in the lower right, battling their way through the storm, but they are not central to the image. Instead, the artist demonstrates a new interest in form over narrative in this print. The rectangular building facades, the diagonal train and tracks, and the swirling snow all combine to create a dynamic and visually compelling image.
Sloan’s remarks about this etching demonstrate his endless experiments with the medium: “Viewed from my studio on Washington Place, the Jefferson Market Court tower and elevated tracks on Sixth Avenue under a swirl of snow. … Professional printers sometimes leave too much tone on this kind of plate. In my later work, I rely less on plate tone, retroussage—and no longer like the romantic character of brownish printing ink.” [1]
Notes:
[1] John Sloan, quoted in Helen Farr Sloan, ed. John Sloan: New York Etchings (1905–1949) (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1978), 56.
ProvenanceEstate of Helen Farr Sloan
To 2009
Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE, acquired from the estate of Helen Farr Sloan
From 2009
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC, given by the Delaware Art Museum on September 17th, 2009
Notes:
[1] Deed of Gift, object file.
[2] See note 1.
[3] Accession Record and Deed of Gift, object file.
Exhibition History2018
John Sloan: New York Etchings
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (6/12/2018-11/25/2018)
Published References
DepartmentAmerican Art
Snowstorm in the Village
Artist
John Sloan
(1871 - 1951)
Date1925
Mediumetching
DimensionsPaper (irregular): 11 15/16 x 7 7/8 in. (30.3 x 20 cm)
Image: 6 7/8 x 4 15/16 in. (17.5 x 12.5 cm)
Frame: 18 1/4 x 16 1/8 in. (46.4 x 41 cm)
SignedJohn Sloan
Credit LineGift of the Estate of Helen Farr Sloan, Courtesy of the Delaware Art Museum
Copyright© 2021 Delaware Art Museum / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Object number2009.2.4
DescriptionIn his later paintings and prints, Sloan often embraced a bird’s-eye perspective, presenting a view of the city from a high elevation. The change indicates a shift in the way that Sloan gathered material for his images. Whereas he once found subject matter as a strolling observer, making forward progress horizontally through the city, in his later years he was a stationary observer in his studio or apartment. Furthermore, his vertical-format prints and paintings emphasized the upward thrust of the city as more and more skyscrapers were built.This is the case with Snowstorm in the Village from 1925. The etching shows Greenwich Village in the midst of a heavy snowstorm. In the upper right, the iconic tower of the Jefferson Market Courthouse is shrouded in snow. Various building facades follow a diagonal line from the courthouse building to the lower left corner. Paralleling the buildings is an elevated train, plowing powerfully through the storm. Above the train and the buildings, the snow swirls in wind-whipped eddies through the air. Sloan conveys this impression with countless sweeping etched lines.
Another result of the bird’s-eye perspective in Sloan’s later work is that people appear far less prominently. In Snowstorm in the Village, a few tiny figures are visible in the lower right, battling their way through the storm, but they are not central to the image. Instead, the artist demonstrates a new interest in form over narrative in this print. The rectangular building facades, the diagonal train and tracks, and the swirling snow all combine to create a dynamic and visually compelling image.
Sloan’s remarks about this etching demonstrate his endless experiments with the medium: “Viewed from my studio on Washington Place, the Jefferson Market Court tower and elevated tracks on Sixth Avenue under a swirl of snow. … Professional printers sometimes leave too much tone on this kind of plate. In my later work, I rely less on plate tone, retroussage—and no longer like the romantic character of brownish printing ink.” [1]
Notes:
[1] John Sloan, quoted in Helen Farr Sloan, ed. John Sloan: New York Etchings (1905–1949) (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1978), 56.
ProvenanceEstate of Helen Farr Sloan
To 2009
Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE, acquired from the estate of Helen Farr Sloan
From 2009
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC, given by the Delaware Art Museum on September 17th, 2009
Notes:
[1] Deed of Gift, object file.
[2] See note 1.
[3] Accession Record and Deed of Gift, object file.
Exhibition History2018
John Sloan: New York Etchings
Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Winston-Salem, NC (6/12/2018-11/25/2018)
Published References
Status
Not on viewCollections