Oregon Coast 1904

Childe Hassam made this pastel drawing of the Oregon Coast sometime around 1900, building up the image with hatched marks in charcoal and soft blues, greens, and grays. I can imagine Hassam outside, maybe a little cold, holding the paper against a board and squinting at the scene, trying to capture the light as the waves crash. What I love about this piece is the texture; you can almost feel the roughness of the rocks and the dampness of the air. The strokes are laid down intuitively, each one a response to the moment. There's a sketch-like quality to it, a sense of immediacy that reminds me of some of Whistler’s coastal scenes. You know, it’s like Hassam is thinking through seeing, each mark a little adjustment, a little correction, until the scene comes alive. These artists are all in conversation, figuring out how to record and respond to the world around them. It’s not about perfection, but about the experience of being there, in that moment, trying to make sense of it all through color and line.