The Picnic Grounds epitomises the urban comedy of manners on which Sloan's reputation rests. The setting is a public park in Bayonne, New Jersey, which Sloan (American, 1871–1951) and his wife visited on Decoration Day (now known as Memorial Day) 1906. Sloan noted in his diary: "Then we went to the Newark bay side and watched picnic grounds, dancing pavilion, young girls of the healthy lusty type with white caps jauntily perched on their heads." Working, as usual, from memory, Sloan enlists an informal composition, jagged forms, and vigorous brushwork to express the youngsters' liveliness. The girls' shirtwaist dresses, garish makeup, and unrestrained gaiety identify them as working class, and their cricket caps hint that their flirtation is merely a game. The candid painting represents a radical departure in style, setting, and spirit from earlier courtship scenes.
[Oil on canvas, 61 x 91.4 cm]
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