Just Off the Avenue, Fifty-Third Street, May (1916) by Childe Hassam

Just Off the Avenue, Fifty-Third Street, May - Childe Hassam - 1916

Artwork Information

TitleJust Off the Avenue, Fifty-Third Street, May
ArtistChilde Hassam
Date1916
Art MovementImpressionism

About Just Off the Avenue, Fifty-Third Street, May

The artwork “Just Off the Avenue, Fifty-Third Street, May” created by Childe Hassam in 1916 is an Impressionist cityscape painting. This piece reflects Hassam’s engagement with the Impressionist movement, a genre well-known for its emphasis on light and its transient effects.

The painting itself depicts a bustling city street that appears to be bathed in the soft light of spring. Hassam’s use of loose brushstrokes and vibrant color captures the essence of the season and the movement and atmosphere of the city. A green, leafy tree dominates the foreground, contrasting with the vertical lines of the buildings that recede into the background, giving depth to the urban landscape. An American flag hangs to the right, offering a burst of color with its red, white, and blue, and infusing the scene with a sense of national identity and perhaps patriotism, which was a common theme in Hassam’s flag series during World War I. The figures of people are suggested rather than detailed, in keeping with the overall impressionistic style, which aims to capture the impression of a moment rather than a precise representation. The painting conveys the vibrancy of city life coupled with the calm beauty of nature, juxtaposed within the urban environment.

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