The Haymarket, Sixth Avenue

John Sloan

Object Label

The 1908 exhibition in which John Sloan’s The Haymarket, Sixth Avenue was shown drew headlines in New York (see illustration). Exhibited with the work of his colleagues in an artist group called The Eight, The Haymarket was especially provocative because it showed lavishly dressed women entering a well-known dance hall unaccompanied by male companions. These women were independent and pleasure-seeking, defying society’s expectations. This type of realism in art shocked many viewers who were accustomed to idealizing and genteel subjects.

Caption

John Sloan (American, 1871–1951). The Haymarket, Sixth Avenue, 1907. Oil on canvas, 26 1/8 x 34 13/16 in. (66.3 x 88.5 cm) frame: 34 1/8 x 42 13/16 x 3 1/8 in. (86.7 x 108.7 x 7.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney , 23.60.

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

American Art

Title

The Haymarket, Sixth Avenue

Date

1907

Medium

Oil on canvas

Classification

Painting

Dimensions

26 1/8 x 34 13/16 in. (66.3 x 88.5 cm) frame: 34 1/8 x 42 13/16 x 3 1/8 in. (86.7 x 108.7 x 7.9 cm)

Signatures

Signed lower left: "John Sloan .07"

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney

Accession Number

23.60

Frequent Art Questions

  • Is this in New York?

    Yes! John Sloan's "The Haymarket, Sixth Avenue" depicts a scene here in New York City. Sloan was a part of a movement that favored urban realism. He often painted public parks, bars, working-class homes, and everyday life on the city streets.
    The focal point in this particular painting is the Haymarket, a dance hall located on Sixth Avenue and Thirteenth Street. It's a bit of a scandalous scene, as women are going into the bar without any men accompanying them. I really love how their white dresses stand out in the darkened streets.

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