Old Doorway, Easthampton 1920

Childe Hassam made this print called, ‘Old Doorway, Easthampton,’ and it's all about how marks can build a whole world. Look at how he uses all these tiny, scratchy lines, not just to show what's there, but to make the light feel like it's actually shimmering. The way the lines bunch up and spread out, it’s like he’s thinking about depth in a really active way. I always think about how an artist's hand moves to make a picture, and you can really feel Hassam figuring it out as he goes. See those stones in the foreground? Each one is a little puzzle of dark and light. It reminds me of Piranesi, but with a softer touch. Both artists use a doorway motif to create an image that feels like it’s forever, like the doorway exists outside of time. It's like Hassam is saying, 'Art isn't just about copying what you see, it's about showing how you see.'