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A head and shoulders portrait of a Black soldier in front of window.

The head and shoulders painting is of a Black solder in front of an open window which shows an urban street view. The head of the soldier is angled slightly to the right, but his eyes look forward. He is wearing a garrison cap, a shirt and tie with an olive drab uniform jacket that has gold buttons with an insignia and round pins on each lapel. A ribbon bar is over the pocket on the right. He is seated in front of a window with a view of a street lined with buildings over his right shoulder.

Gallery Text

Robert Smullyan Sloan was drafted into the army in 1943 and stationed in New York, where he illustrated educational materials for the armed services and produced posters for the U.S. Treasury’s war bond campaign. In this painstakingly detailed composition reminiscent of early Flemish painting, he portrays a U.S. Army private wearing a dress uniform with ribbons designating a Good Conduct Medal and participation in the European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign. The artist’s title, however, accords him only the designation of his race, using the language of that historical moment.

African Americans fought a two-front battle during World War II, facing enemies overseas and racism at home. The view out the window in Sloan’s work alludes to the distinguished soldier’s dreary prospects upon his return to the gritty urban environment of 125th Street in Harlem.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
2004.194
People
Robert Smullyan Sloan, American (New York, NY 1915 - 2013 Boston, MA)
Title
Negro Soldier
Classification
Paintings
Work Type
painting
Date
1945
Culture
American
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/50190

Location

Location
Level 1, Room 1320, Modern and Contemporary Art, Social Realism
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Physical Descriptions

Medium
Egg tempera and oil on board
Dimensions
68 x 58 cm (26 3/4 x 22 13/16 in.)
framed: 67 x 56.8 x 4.5 cm (26 3/8 x 22 3/8 x 1 3/4 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • Signed: Signed, "Robert Smullyan Sloan, 1945" on lower right corner on shirt pocket. Signed on back, "Robert Smullyan Sloan, 14 Arlington St., Marlborough, NY".

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Collection of the artist (1945-2004) sold; to Fogg Art Museum.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Purchase through the generosity of Michael Kempner, Michael Maher, and Ann Schwarz
Copyright
© Robert Smullyan Sloan
Accession Year
2004
Object Number
2004.194
Division
Modern and Contemporary Art
Contact
am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu
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Exhibition History

  • Painting in the United States, Carnegie Institute, 10/09/1947 - 12/07/1947
  • The 21st Biennial Exhibition of 1949, Corcoran Gallery of Art, 03/27/1949 - 05/08/1949
  • Robert S. Sloan: Genre Paintings, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, 02/13/1974 - 03/10/1974
  • 32Q: 1320 Social Realism, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 11/16/2014 - 01/01/2050

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Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art at am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu