Sloan, John French (1871–1951)

US painter. Encouraged to paint by Robert Henri, he helped organize ‘the Eight’, a group of realists who were against academic standards, and was a founder member of the Ashcan School. He moved to New York 1904 and helped to organize the avant-garde Armory Show of 1913. His paintings of working-class urban life pioneered the field of American realism.

Born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, USA, he started as a newspaper illustrator for several Philadelphia newspapers. He was president of the Society of Independent Artists 1918–44 and taught at the Art Students League 1916–37.