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A North East Headland by Hassam, Childe

Hassam, Childe · 1901

Childe Hassam's 'A North East Headland' (1901) is a quiet record-holder. This oil sketch of the Gloucester coastline doesn't shout. It breathes.

The painting shows a rocky headland jutting into a bright aquamarine sea. Look at the cliff face: Hassam used a palette knife and short, energetic brushstrokes to build the rock's texture, making the sunlit surface feel almost tactile. The white foam on the wave crests is just a flick of the wrist.

Hassam was a powerhouse of American Impressionism, producing over 3,000 works. His market is deep but rarely makes headlines. For a long time, his auction ceiling sat at a modest level.

That changed when this very painting sold for $205,000, setting an auction record for the artist at the time. It proved that even a small, unassuming oil sketch can reset the market for one of America's most prolific painters.

What does a record price tell us about a painting this quiet?

Details

Childe Hassam painted it in 1901, up on the Gloucester rocks.
Childe Hassam painted it in 1901, up on the Gloucester rocks.
He built the texture with short, loaded strokes of the brush.
He built the texture with short, loaded strokes of the brush.
The vibrant blue and white highlights capture the dynamic movement and light on the water's surface.
The vibrant blue and white highlights capture the dynamic movement and light on the water's surface.
The varied tones and shapes of the stones create a sense of depth and the natural, untamed terrain.
The varied tones and shapes of the stones create a sense of depth and the natural, untamed terrain.
Transcript

It looks like a breeze. A fast afternoon on the coast. Childe Hassam painted it in 1901, up on the Gloucester rocks. He built the texture with short, loaded strokes of the brush. Hassam produced over three thousand works in his lifetime. So his market is a quiet one. Steady, but never loud. This headland last sold for $205,000. A record for the artist at the time. A sum that rewrote the book.