The artwork titled “Rainy Day,” created by Childe Hassam in 1890, is an exemplar of the Impressionism art movement. It is a cityscape that depicts a scene of urban life under the softened veils of rain.
In the artwork, the viewer is presented with a wet, reflective city street glistening under the rainfall. The sidewalk and road are rendered with quick, impressionistic strokes that capture the fluidity and movement of the rain. A few figures holding umbrellas are visible as they walk along the street, adding a sense of scale and human presence amidst the inclement weather. Buildings with muted tones of green, red, and yellow line the street, their facades softly blurred by the rain, which emphasizes the atmospheric effect. The distant spire, likely part of a church, recedes into the hazy horizon, its form partially obscured by the falling rain. This masterful portrayal highlights Hassam’s skill in capturing the transient effects of weather and light, a hallmark of the Impressionist style.
