The Church at Old Lyme 1924

Childe Hassam made this plate of 'The Church at Old Lyme’ using etching, that’s to say, by drawing into a waxy ground on a metal plate with a sharp needle, and then bathing it in acid. I love how the acid does its own thing, biting into the metal in unpredictable ways. Look at how Hassam uses this to suggest a scene that is both carefully composed, and yet wild and overgrown. A formal building is almost overwhelmed by the tangle of nature, the light and shade of the trees. This is especially evident in the upper left corner, where the lines get so dense they almost become a blur. The whole image is built up through simple strokes, short and long, dark and light. It reminds me of the prints of Whistler, another American artist who spent time in Europe. But where Whistler is often subtle and delicate, Hassam feels more robust, more American perhaps. It's a conversation across time, an exchange of ideas. Art embraces ambiguity, and this piece is no exception. It is solid, yet ephemeral; there, but not quite.