Copyist at the Metropolitan Museum

The pursuit of culture receives affectionate teasing in this work by John Sloan, leader of the Ashcan school, the group of artists in early 20th-century New York who embraced the urban scene. In the rarified world of the museum, all types of people mix together—a situation that doubtless delighted Sloan, a dedicated Socialist and keen observer of the fun and foibles of the modern city.