A Woman's Work1912 · Study 1964.160

Context from the museum

Trained as a journalist, the young Sloan explored social issues more vigorously than most of the painters of his time, portraying working-class urbanites engaged in ordinary activities. He observed this particular scene through a rear window of his Manhattan apartment. Perched on a narrow fire escape, a woman hangs fresh laundry to dry on clotheslines strung between tenements. As evidenced by the painting, the labors of American women at the turn of the 1900s were most often confined to the domestic realm.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

According to John Sloan's diary, this painting was made in March 1912 at his apartment on East 22nd Street, New York.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for A Woman's Work is 65.4 cm wide and 80.3 cm high, equivalent to approximately 25.7 × 31.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.81:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.53 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 21.8% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 117.3 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With A Woman's Work in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on canvas, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 65.4 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?