Whitney Museum of American Art

Recently I went to the Whitney Museum of American Art for my girlfriend’s project so I figured I can also benefit from this visit and I did. In particular I was interested in John Sloan’s paintings. I seemed to develop a liking to his work because in a way I can relate to them. I just can't get enough of his everyday New York lifestyle paintings. Being from New York I can relate to the sites that he paints and can appreciate them on a different level.
After about an hour of browsing we found a few of John Sloan's paintings. The one above really caught my eye and was painted in 1928, named Sixth Avenue Elevated at Third Street. I actually never have seen this painting before but I knew some info on John Sloan. I knew that Sloan was an American artist born in Pennsylvania who took the name of a realist artist. He often painted neighborhood life in the city of New York. His paintings are often perceived as if you are viewing life from his "window". I would certainly agree with this statement after looking at his works.
Now on to the painting, you can automatically see the variance of colors. The red brick, blue/purple sky, grey cobblestone and the women’s dresses. There is just so much going on in this painting that your eye doesn’t know where to look but I like it. I think this is where the curiosity comes in. I wonder were those girls are going and why they are running. Maybe they are trying to catch bus or to a show, however it lets your mind be creative. He did an exceptional job representing the hustle and bustle in a city. Since I didn’t see the painting before my visit I really couldn’t compare until I got home. The painting wasn’t that big so it actually made me examine it more closely. Like Edouard Manet’s work, Sloan didn’t put an excessive amount of detail in his work but when looked at from a distance it looks extremely detailed. For example the women’s faces are simply a few brush strokes but perceived differently like the pendant the lady is wearing in “A Bar at the Folies Bergere” by Manet.
This painting slightly reminds me of my favorite t-shirt company and designer Johnny Cupcakes because of its cartoony feel. Maybe this is why I was I was sublimity drawn to this particular painting. I do not know which one of Sloan’s paintings I like better. I love the action in this one but I really like the emotion that “McSorleys Saloon” gives.