1899
oil
canvas
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
Dominant colour
New England Headlands is a 1899 oil by Childe Hassam, a American Impressionism work, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
You see rolling green hills, white houses, and a bright blue ocean under a pale sky. Hassam painted this spot many times—Gloucester, Massachusetts, where artists gathered each summer. He let the bare canvas peek through in places, making the grass look shimmery. The colors feel fresh, like a sunny day by the sea. If you like this, look up *impasto*—the thick, textured brushwork that gives the painting its energy.
This panoramic landscape depicts one of Childe Hassam’s favorite destinations: Gloucester, Massachusetts. During the summer months Gloucester was home to many artists, who, like Hassam, chose to emphasize its picturesque aspects, such as its quaint buildings and sailing vessels, rather than its fish-processing plants. The composition exhibits Hassam’s broken brushwork and his use of bare canvas, particularly in the foreground. Bright, saturated blues and crisp whites add to the maritime tenor of the work, while the square canvas highlights its architectural quality and harmoniously organized…
Macbeth Galleries, New York City, by 1919; Paul Schulze, Chicago, from 1919 to 1930; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1930.
Art Institute of Chicago, A Century of Progress: Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture , June 1–Nov. 1, 1933, cat. 561. Tucson, University of Arizona Museum of Art, Childe Hassam, 1859-1935 , Feb. 5–Mar. 5, 1972; CA, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Mar. 26–Apr. 30, 1972, cat. 51. Richmond, Virginia Museum, American Marine Painting, Sept. 27–Oct. 31, 1976, cat. 55, as New England Headlands. Albi, France, Musee Toulouse–Lautrec, Tresors Impressionistes du Musee de Chicago, June 27–Aug. 31, 1980, cat. 45.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Frederick Childe Hassam was an American Impressionist painter, noted for his urban and coastal scenes.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
