Louis Sloan (1932-2008) American, Oil. Signed lower right. "Bucks County Landscape." Original exhibition & Gallery labels verso. Louis Baynard Sloan was an African American landscape artist, teacher and conservator. He was the first Black full professor at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and a conservator for the Academy and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Although he painted urban neighborhoods and other cityscapes, he was mostly known for his plein-air paintings. Born in Philadelphia, the fifth of twelve children, Louis Sloan's interest in art was sparked by an older brother. His sixth-grade teacher encouraged his drawing by buying him a set of oil paints; he sold his first painting at age 14. Louis B. Sloan never saw himself as a Black artist in the sense that he painted Black subjects. He would say that ‘my art has to stand on its own and speak for itself.' He also said, 'there is only one reason a person should paint, and that's because they love to paint, no other reason.' Overall size: 8 1/2 x 11 3/8 in. Sight size: 7 1/8 x 10 in.