Study for "The City from Greenwich Village," II c. 1922

John Sloan made this drawing, a study for “The City from Greenwich Village, II,” with a humble pencil, maybe to get a feel for the city's vibes. It's all about the energy of mark-making, that lovely, scratchy quality that feels like a visual diary entry. I'm drawn to the way Sloan uses these marks to build up the city's form, layering the tones to create depth, especially how the elevated train line cuts through the scene. Look at the sky, filled with dense, hurried marks that convey a real feeling of atmosphere. The texture is so immediate, so visceral. It's like he's wrestling with the scene, trying to pin it down but also letting it breathe. This reminds me a bit of some of the urban sketches by the German Expressionists, like Kirchner, who were also trying to capture the frantic pace of modern life. But Sloan's got a more grounded, intimate feel to it. It’s like he's saying, "Here's the city, in all its messy glory." It’s a conversation across time, about how we see and feel the places we live in.