Brelevenez, Lannion, Cote du Nord, France 1910

Childe Hassam, in this artwork, seems to be chasing a feeling. Look at the way the pastel dances with light and the architectural bones of this French building! The painting is covered in a veil of bronze, yet these spots of jade peek through, like cheeky secrets. I like to think about Hassam standing right in front of this cathedral. The light changes. What do you keep? What do you leave? He had to be quick. He was trying to grab something ephemeral. As an artist, you have to make choices. Each touch of the pastel either builds up or subtracts. Hassam makes these zany, playful decisions. They remind me of Vuillard's interiors and the way he turns everything into pattern. They’re forever in conversation, these artists. What do we value? What do we lose? Either way, the light is glorious.