Rainy Day on Fifth Avenue 1893

Editor: So, here we have Childe Hassam's "Rainy Day on Fifth Avenue" from 1893, done with watercolor and oil paint. It has this blurry, dreamlike quality. What catches your eye? Curator: I’m struck by how Hassam uses materials to represent the experience of modern urban life. Think about the watercolor. What does its inherent fluidity say about the experience of that time? Editor: The city's growing so fast, right? Curator: Exactly. It reflects that constant state of flux and production, that transformation. What kind of labor went into producing the garments on these figures walking in the street? Editor: Wow, I hadn't thought about the labor involved. What else were they producing? Curator: Everything! From the horse-drawn carriages to the buildings looming in the background, this scene reflects rapid industrialization and the growth of consumer culture, think about how many materials had to come together in very short time spans to assemble these complex technologies. The impressionistic style obscures the real, often exploited, labor, behind such urban progress and consumer commodities, such as the fashions. What about the reflections on the wet street, made by using a very difficult and controlled method of painting? Editor: Oh, you’re right, you lose the details and gain a sense of overall ambiance of urban development. Now it looks as though labor, materiality, and social life become parts of an ongoing production. It makes one think! Curator: Absolutely! Thinking about the means of production in turn of the century pieces provides insights into class, gender, and the rapid societal shifts impacting people in very concrete ways. Editor: I am leaving here understanding more about materialism now and, surprisingly, labor!