Twenty-Six of June, Old Lyme 1912

Childe Hassam made this painting, Twenty-Six of June, Old Lyme, with oil on canvas, and what grabs me first is how the marks construct a way of seeing that's all about gentle light. It’s like Hassam wasn't just painting what he saw, but how it felt to be there, in that room, on that day. Up close, you can almost feel the dabs of paint, the way he built up the image layer by layer. Look at the kimono, how the blue just shimmers with these little flicks of color. It's not just blue, it's blue with hints of green, of white, like he’s trying to capture the very essence of light hitting fabric. The reflection in the mirror, the way the light bounces off the vase, it's all about capturing a fleeting moment. Hassam reminds me a little of Berthe Morisot, someone who also knew how to make the everyday feel extraordinary. Both artists show us that painting isn't just about copying reality, but about translating experience into something new, and maybe a little bit magical.