“Spring on West 78th Street,” crafted by Childe Hassam in the year 1905, exemplifies the Impressionism movement and the cityscape genre. The artwork captures a quaint urban scene imbued with the subtle hues and light typically associated with spring.
The artwork depicts a street view bathed in the gentle light of early morning or late afternoon. Trees are in partial bloom alongside old buildings, indicative of springtime. Pedestrians in early 20th-century attire populate the sidewalk, with horse-drawn carriages and early motor vehicles navigating the street. The sky above is painted in warm, pastel colors, suggesting a calm and serene atmosphere. Hassam’s brushwork, characterized by fluid yet deliberate strokes, imparts a sense of movement and life to the scene, evoking the transient beauty and vitality of the urban landscape during spring.
