Across the Common on a Winter Evening 1885

Childe Hassam painted *Across the Common on a Winter Evening* using oil on canvas sometime near the end of the 19th century, capturing a scene of urban life. The painting is set in Boston, Massachusetts, a city experiencing rapid industrialization at the time. Boston Common was one of the oldest urban parks in the United States. A shared green space for recreation and socialising. Hassam’s impressionistic style captures the effects of light and atmosphere, softening the edges of the figures and creating an overall sense of mood. The figures walking across the snow covered common evoke a feeling of urban alienation. The image serves as a valuable historical document. By exploring period sources, such as newspapers, city planning documents, and social surveys, we can learn more about the social and cultural context in which Hassam created this painting, and the role of institutions in shaping art.