Childe Hassam

EARLY MORNING CALM

Childe Hassam was one of many nineteenth century Americans who became excited about Impressionism, which, at that time, was modern painting. It was modern because Impressionists used many individual strokes of bright color to make an image, as opposed to creating a smooth, polished, almost-photographic, paint surface. In this painting, Early Morning Calm, you see how the numerous daubs of paint add up to a shimmering surface that seems to be reacting to outdoor light. Impressionists, in fact, painted out-of-doors to achieve these effects. Childe Hassam painted still life and figures, but he always returned to landscape because in addition to the intense outdoor light and color he could also paint atmosphere. That means he could interpret light and color close-up, as seen here in the rocky shore, as well as how light and color change over distance, past the horizon line. In Early Morning Calm, Childe Hassam captures a sense of great space, making an otherwise simple composition feel open and expansive.