John French Sloan (American, 1871 - 1951) "Land of Turquoise," oil on canvas painting depicting a Southwestern landscape. Low clouds drift across a calm turquoise sky, casting shadows in subtly varying shades of blue across the hills along the horizon. Shrubby green vegetation grows on either side of a dirt road in the foreground. Signed "John Sloan" lower left. Canvas is covered by a protective board with old label for Kraushaar Galleries, New York. Housed in an acanthus and ribbon molded gilt frame with beveled linen mat. Canvas - 22" W x 18" H. Frame - 29" W x 25" H. Note: this painting is #771 in the John Sloan Paintings Catalog Raisonne by Rowland Elzea. Copies of the original receipt and past appraisals from Kraushaar Galleries of this work will be available to the winning bidder.

Biography: Pennsylania born illustrator and painter John French Sloan was a pioneer of the Social Realist movement and a founder of the Ashcan School. He participated in the landmark exhibition of The Eight in New York in 1908, in which the artists broke academic tradition through both technique and subject matter, and helped organize the 1913 Armory Show exhibition of modernist painting. Sloan also served as president of the Society of Independent Artists.

In 1919, influenced by Robert Henri, he traveled to Santa Fe for the first time and became active in the art colony there. He spent summers in the Southwest for the next 30 years. Sloan also served as President of the Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts in the 1930s and lobbied the Society of Independent Artists to include work by Native Americans in their exhibitions. Sloan also taught at the Art Students League, where his students included Reginald Marsh, Raphael Soyer, and Alexander Calder.

Overall very good condition. A few small spots in the clouds, upper center edge, fluoresce under UV light. Painting has been cleaned. Two very small spots of craquelure center sky area, each about 1/4" diameter. Frame has some small areas of abrasions and losses to high relief areas along outer edges.