Chopping Block

Provenance

Private Collection, Gainesville, Georgia
Sale, Brunk Auctions, Ashville, North Carolina, October 16, 2024, lot 811, from above

Exhibited

The Ancient Plow, oil on board, 21½ x 34½ inches; Eric Sloane Museum, Kent, Connecticut

Note

Eric Sloane was widely recognized for his paintings of American landscapes, with barns serving as a central motif. However, he also developed a deep interest in depicting tools, considering them an essential theme for representing Americana. This painting is an exceptional and rare example of Sloane’s works that focus specifically on tools. His passion for painting tools extended beyond the canvas: In the late 1960s, Sloane curated an exhibition for the New Britain Museum of Art, where he mounted a collection of early American tools on boards accompanied by hand-lettered descriptions. Sloane regarded these tools as a significant example of early American art1, reflecting his belief in the cultural and historical value of such objects as symbols of American heritage