Artwork
Fifth Avenue
Fifth Avenue is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Childe Hassam. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
5 cm in width, a modest, upright format suited to an intimate street-level view.
Fifth Avenue is an oil painting on canvas executed by Childe Hassam in 1919. The work measures 61.3 cm in height by 51.5 cm in width, a modest, upright format suited to an intimate street-level view. Hassam's handling reflects his mature Impressionist style, characterized by broken, vibrant brushwork and a focus on capturing the atmospheric energy of New York's flagship thoroughfare.
Painted in oil, the surface allows for the layered, textured application typical of his urban scenes from this period, in which light, movement, and the bustle of pedestrians are rendered through flickering, juxtaposed strokes of color rather than precise linear definition. The work is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
Childe Hassam created the oil painting Fifth Avenue in 1919. The work was executed on canvas and measures 61.3 cm in height by 51.5 cm in width. It is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1952.539. The painting depicts a scene located in the United States.
Fifth Avenue is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work carries the accession number 1952.539. Created in 1919, this oil painting on canvas depicts a scene from the United States. The provided sources do not contain specific details regarding the artwork's exhibition history.
Overview
Created in 1919, this oil on canvas by American Impressionist Childe Hassam captures a bustling stretch of New York’s Fifth Avenue. The work is part of the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed as an example of early‑twentieth‑century urban painting.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas presents a lively city scene: pedestrians occupy the sidewalk while automobiles and horse‑drawn carriages traverse the street. Tall stone and brick façades line the avenue, framing a sky rendered in muted blues and grays that suggest a typical day in a metropolitan thoroughfare.
Context
Fifth Avenue was painted during a period when Hassam turned his attention to the rapidly changing American cityscape, reflecting the expansion of automobile traffic and the coexistence of traditional horse‑drawn transport. The work aligns with his broader series of New York street scenes that document the city’s evolving rhythm.
Artist & collection
Artist
Frederick Childe Hassam (; October 17, 1859 – August 27, 1935) was an American Impressionist painter, noted for his urban and coastal scenes.
