Walking past the rural landscape is a bit like being inside a farmhouse and passing a window that overlooks acres of pasture. Under a massive and cloudy sky, hills ripple up and down, while in the distance one can make out the distinct images of a New England barn and a church steeple.
Sloane's work has been a mainstay in the church since it was donated in 1952, the year the parish hall addition was completed. Since that time, it has served as a nice complement to the parlor, but now the painting will go on to a greater good when it becomes the highlight of this weekend's annual Washington Green Fair auction.
"It's a very nice painting, and is one of his early works; it's different than what he had usually done," said John Kiker, a church member and the chairman of the Green Fair.
Landscape paintings by Sloane are not uncommon, but this work is unusual in its disproportionate use of space. The sky composes about four-fifths of the painting; it's so prevalent that it makes one question whether the work could even be classified as landscape.
Art Kerber, owner of Green River Gallery in Millerton, N.Y., is an expert on the work of Sloane. He noted that the artist enjoyed working with stormy skies so much that he helped coin the term "cloudscape."
"That's what he wanted to be known for, he wanted to be a cloud artist," said Mr. Kerber, who was an acquaintance of Sloane, a New York native who lived in Litchfield County for a time and created countless works before his 1985 death. Considered part of the Hudson River School of artistic style, he was known for his rustic landscape works, especially after moving to New Mexico, where the desert earth and sky became a central theme for his art.
The reserve price for the painting is $17,000, though Mr. Kerber suggested that the 24-by-48-inch piece is worth far more. The proceeds from this, and all other items auctioned, will benefit the Washington Green.
"The Green Fair has been going on for 40 years every summer," said Mr. Kiker. "The proceeds go to the upkeep of the Green, and the church is on the Green ... it's mutually beneficial for [the town and the church.]"
The auction will also feature, among many other things, a weeklong Vermont ski house getaway, an Avon River inflatable boat, an FAO Schwartz dollhouse with furniture and a timely vinyl edition of Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall."
The fair will also have a country bakery, a tag sale, a used book emporium and a plant sale.
Rain or shine, the Green Fair will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, on the Washington Green, located off Route 47, up the hill from Washington Depot.
For those interested in learning more about Sloane, the Sloane Stanley Museum in Kent features his artwork and a reconstruction of his studio, along with the artist's extensive collection of hand tools. For more information, see the Web site of the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, located at www.cultureandtourism.org.