East Headland Pool 1912

Childe Hassam's 'East Headland Pool' is, as far as I can tell, oil on canvas, and its all about these chunky dabs of paint. The way Hassam lays down the color, it’s like he's building up the scene, piece by piece, not just representing it. Look closely, and you can see the texture of the paint, thick in some spots, thinner in others, creating this really tactile surface. The colors are mixed right on the canvas, these little touches of oranges, blues, and greens, making the rocks and water almost shimmer. Then there’s the figure, bathed in a light that makes them almost disappear into the scene. It's like they're emerging from the landscape itself, a part of the rocks and sea. Hassam reminds me a bit of Monet, in his interest in light and atmosphere. Both artists invite us to really look, to see the world not as a fixed thing, but as something always in process.