Working Artist
John Sloan never sold enough paintings or prints to be able to exclusively dedicate himself to the production of art. Instead, he supported himself as an illustrator and a teacher. Even before he began to paint, Sloan earned his living in Philadelphia producing illustrations for commercial books, newspapers, and magazines. Sloan's illustration income gave him the freedom to pursue his own path in art. New York City subjects appear in his illustrations as well as his independent works of art.
"Don't You Want— th'Umbrella?", 1904.
John Sloan and Class at the Art Students League, c. 1927.
John Sloan's ticket to the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art (Armory Show).
Poster for the Fifth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists, 1921.
By 1906 Sloan also began to supplement his income by teaching art, first as a substitute for Robert Henri. Despite his initial discomfort Sloan taught intermittently until 1916 when he became a full-time member of the faculty at the Art Students League in New York. He continued to teach at various schools through the spring of 1935. In 1939 Sloan's teaching philosophy and techniques were published in the book called Gist of Art. Based in part upon the notes Sloan's student Helen Farr took in his classes and gathered over the years, Gist of Art allowed subsequent generations to learn from him. In it Sloan wrote, "I have always painted for myself and made my living by illustrating and teaching. . . . I have never made a living from my painting."
In the early twentieth century, Sloan also participated in organizing and promoting groundbreaking art exhibitions, which helped to broaden the exhibition possibilities for American artists. He collected money, photographed works, and spoke to the press before The Eight's exhibition at Macbeth Galleries opened in 1908. This show brought together the work of the Philadelphia friends—Sloan, Henri, Glackens, Luks, and Shinn—with Arthur B. Davies, Maurice Prendergast, and Ernest Lawson. The show was a surprising success, and encouraged by their triumph, Sloan and Henri joined forces with Davies and Walt Kuhn to put together the 1910 Exhibition of Independent Artists. In 1913, Sloan served on the hanging committee for the Armory Show, which provided many Americans with their first exposure to modern European art, including Cubist works by Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp. In 1917 he exhibited at the first exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists and served as president of the institution for more than twenty years.