The Rathskeller

From the Cleveland Museum of Art record

Economic differences infuse Sloan’s scene of patrons at a Philadelphia bar. Here, a working-class woman sharing a beer with a companion captures the attention of a lone man who has ordered the more costly champagne. One contemporary critic characterized this wealthier man as “a spider watching for the fly.” Sloan worked as an illustrator for various newspapers before becoming a professional painter and printmaker.