John Sloan & the Eight April 18, 2009

In 1904, Sloan moved to New York City, determined to become a painter. He continued to support himself as a commercial artist and eventually as a teacher. By 1908, his work had been shown in exhibitions in Philadelphia, Chicago, Pittsburgh and New York. In that year, seven other artists joined Sloan to organize their own exhibition at Macbeth Galleries in New York City. Called "The Eight" by the press, they were Robert Henri, William Glackens, Everett Shinn, Maurice Prendergast, Arthur B. Davies and George Luks. They rejected the rather genteel style and subject matter promoted by the National Academy of Design. "The Eight" had a spectrum of individual styles; it was their commitment to artistic freedom that unified them.