A seascape painted in pastel tones, light-colored houses with red chimneys and light-green shutters in the foreground. The scene is set on a rocky, green hillside overlooking a blue sea with small sailboats.

New England Headlands

1899

Childe Hassam (American, 1859–1935)

Gloucester

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 space.

Oil on canvas