Artwork
Egeria
Egeria is an ink print by Childe Hassam. It dates from 1927 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right in plate: June 2nd / [artist's monogram] / 1929; lower right in graphite: [artist's monogram] imp; lower left edge in graphite by unknown hand: Egeria; lower center edge in graphite by unknown hand: 1120HA 11450HA [strikethrough]; upper left verso in graphite by unknown hand: #3
About this work
Overview
Egeria is a 1927 print by American artist Childe Hassam, executed as a black‑ink etching on wove paper. The composition presents a solitary nude woman seated on a stone slab, her long hair gathered in one hand, set within a thicket of foliage. The work exemplifies Hassam’s late‑period interest in intimate, contemplative subjects rendered through the graphic precision of printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The figure’s kneeling posture and the gentle gesture of holding her hair convey a quiet, introspective mood. Surrounded by dense vegetation, the scene suggests a private moment of repose, inviting viewers to consider themes of solitude and natural harmony without overt narrative cues.
Technique & Style
Hassam employed traditional intaglio etching, incising lines into a metal plate before transferring the image onto wove paper with black ink. The medium allows for fine tonal variation, evident in the delicate rendering of hair and foliage, and creates a subtle sense of depth through cross‑hatching and line work characteristic of his printmaking practice.
History & Provenance
Created toward the end of Hassam’s career, Egeria reflects his continued exploration of the etching medium after decades of painting. The print has been documented in several exhibition catalogues of early twentieth‑century American prints and remains in the collection of a major museum, where it is cited as an example of his graphic oeuvre.
![Nude [recto]](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/childe-hassam--nude-recto--569fc48bc9ef425f-w320.webp)
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Frederick Childe Hassam (; October 17, 1859 – August 27, 1935) was an American Impressionist painter, noted for his urban and coastal scenes.
