Sunset at Sea 1911

Editor: This is Childe Hassam's "Sunset at Sea," painted in 1911. Looking at the canvas, the sky is this vibrant mix of yellows and purples, contrasted with cool green and blue hues of the water. There is something so dreamlike about it. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: Immediately, the formal arrangement seizes the eye. Notice how Hassam divides the picture plane horizontally into distinct zones: the turbulent sky, the luminous sea reflecting it, and then consider that sliver of a boat at the horizon line. Observe how the paint application varies – loose, impasto strokes in the sky versus these meticulous dabs of color describing the water. Editor: It almost looks like he's built the painting out of individual points of color. Is he influenced by pointillism at all? Curator: In part. Consider, however, the semiotic function of color in this artwork. How do these juxtapositions of warm and cool hues create both visual interest and a sensation of atmospheric depth? Also, observe how the horizon line flattens the space, while simultaneously operating as a compositional dividing line. What effect does this flattening create? Editor: It makes me consider the surface of the painting itself. It's almost as important as the image it's portraying. It becomes very abstract in that sense. Curator: Precisely. And by attending to the painting’s surface in this way, we find that the seascape as pure motif, fades into an exploration of colour, brushwork, and, of course, pure form. A painting about painting, wouldn't you agree? Editor: I do! Focusing on those elements makes the piece far more interesting than just a simple landscape. It’s opened my eyes to see the balance between representation and pure abstraction here. Curator: Indeed, a balanced approach between those things allows one to truly consider this painting as something completely novel.