John Sloan Gloucester Days

July 11, 2015 — Nov. 29, 2015

One of this country’s most important artists of the early 20th century and a highly respected teacher, John Sloan (1871-1951) spent five summers—1914 through 1918—living and working on Cape Ann. During that time he created nearly 300 finished oil paintings, using Gloucester’s rugged landscape as a backdrop to experiment with color and explore ideas about form, texture and light. Arguably the most productive period of his career, the body of work that Sloan created during this time continues to astonish and delight viewers a century after it was completed.

The Cape Ann Museum has five major works by John Sloan in its permanent collection, four of which were included in the exhibition (Sunflowers, Rocky Neck, 1914; Glare on the Bay, c.1914; Red Warehouses at Gloucester, 1914 and Dogtown, Ruined Blue Fences, 1916).  Approximately 30 additional works, drawn from public and private collections across the country, were included in the exhibition.

Above: John Sloan (1871-1951), Sunflowers, Rocky Neck, 1914. Oil on canvas. Gift of Alfred Mayor and Martha M. Smith, 2008. [2008.14]

Download the press release here.

The exhibition catalog is available for purchase in the Museum Shop.

The Masses

Read The Masses and The Cape Ann Shore here.

Sloan Lecture Series

Three lectures were presented in conjunction with the exhibition, all of which were filmed and broadcast by Cape Ann TV. Carol Troyen's and Avis Berman's lectures are available for viewing here; Michael Lobel's lecture is available by request in the Cape Ann Museum Archives. 

Three Moderns Paint Gloucester:  Sloan, Hartley, and Hopper on Cape Ann
Presented by Carol Troyen on Thursday, July 23

John Sloan, Robert Henri, and John Butler Yeats: A Portrait of Friendship
Presented by Avis Berman on Thursday, August 13

Passing through Gloucester: John Sloan between City and Country
Presented by Michael Lobel on Friday, October 30

Exhibition Sponsors