Alfred Hassam Paintings


Childe Hassam, whose full name is Frederick Childe Hassam, was an American Impressionist painter born on October 17, 1859, in Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts. Notably, there is no record of an artist named Alfred Hassam, but it appears you might be referring to Childe Hassam. He was instrumental in popularizing the Impressionist style in American art, and he is best known for his urban and coastal scenes as well as his use of light and loose brushwork.

Hassam began his artistic career as an illustrator and watercolorist. He worked for a time in Boston, where he was influenced by the French Impressionists after seeing their work in exhibitions. In the 1880s, he moved to Paris to study at the Académie Julian and was further immersed in the Impressionist movement. Hassam's style evolved during his time in Europe, where he adopted the Impressionists' concern with light and color, although he maintained a distinctive personal style characterized by a more conservative approach to composition and brushwork compared to some of his French contemporaries.

After returning to the United States, Hassam settled in New York City and became a prominent member of 'The Ten,' a group of American artists who sought to break away from the formality of academic painting. His New York street scenes, such as those depicting Fifth Avenue and the area around Madison Square, captured the vibrancy and dynamism of the city with dappled light and lively brush strokes. Hassam was also known for his paintings of New England landscapes and coastal scenes, which often depicted the play of light on water and the atmosphere of the American countryside.

Throughout his career, Hassam was an advocate for American Impressionism and participated in numerous exhibitions. He earned various awards and honors, and his work was widely collected. Hassam's patriotic spirit was reflected in his famous 'Flag' series, which depicted American flags on Fifth Avenue and was inspired by the patriotic fervor of World War I.

Childe Hassam passed away on August 27, 1935, in East Hampton, New York. Today, his work is held in major museums across the United States, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He is remembered as one of the foremost American artists of his time and a leading figure in the Impressionist movement in the United States.