Artwork
The Old House, Cos Cob
The Old House, Cos Cob is an ink print by Childe Hassam. It dates from 1915 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right in plate: Cos Cob / [the artist's monogram] / Oct. 27 / 1915; lower right in graphite: [the artist's monogram] imp; lower left edge in graphite by unkonwn hand: The Old House, Cos Cob; lower right edge in graphite by unknown hand: 17; upper left verso in graphite by unknown hand: #27; lower right verso in graphite by unknown hand: NO
About this work
Overview
Childe Hassam’s 1915 etching, titled The Old House, Cos Cob, depicts a weathered two‑story dwelling set amid thick foliage. Executed in black on wove paper, the image is viewed from a low, upward angle that emphasizes the building’s sagging porch, stone foundation and surrounding vegetation.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a modest, aged house in the Cos Cob neighborhood of Connecticut, a locale frequented by artists in the early twentieth century. The emphasis on texture and shadow conveys a sense of quiet endurance and the passage of time within a rural setting.
Technique & Style
Hassam employed drypoint on the copper plate, incising lines that produce soft, velvety edges. The intricate line work renders wood grain, ivy, and stone with subtle gradations, while the monochrome palette relies on tonal variation to model form and depth.
History & Provenance
Created during Hassam’s frequent visits to Cos Cob, the etching is part of a series of prints documenting local scenes. It reflects the artist’s broader interest in capturing the New England landscape through printmaking, complementing his contemporaneous oil paintings of the area.
Context
Cos Cob, a Connecticut village, served as a gathering point for American Impressionists in the early 1900s. Hassam’s work there aligns with the period’s focus on everyday architecture and natural surroundings, rendered with an emphasis on light, atmosphere and the tactile qualities of surface.
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.
