Twenty-Fifth Anniversary

John Sloan made this etching, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary, in 1926. Look at the way Sloan uses these tight, wiry lines to create a sense of movement, especially in the water. It’s almost like he’s building up the image with a kind of nervous energy. The whole scene feels a bit dreamlike, doesn't it? There's a guy with a pipe, a woman, and they're both perched on a rock in the middle of a churning sea. The lines around them are dense and swirling, giving everything a slightly anxious vibe. Notice the woman clinging to the man and look at how Sloan uses just a few simple lines to give her face so much expression. Sloan was part of the Ashcan School, a group of artists who liked to paint everyday life, and you can see that here, but with a twist. This image reminds me a little of some of Goya's darker prints—that same feeling of unease and the world turned upside down, but in Sloan's own, uniquely American way. What do you make of it?