Canterbury 1889

Childe Hassam made this watercolor painting, Canterbury, during his time in Europe. Hassam lived through a period of vast social change. As an American expatriate, he had a privileged position to observe the changing social structures. Hassam's approach to the church is of particular interest. Its position, receding into nature, and with very little formal definition, suggests Hassam's thoughts on the position of the church in society at that time. The building is being overtaken, in essence reflecting its declining influence in a rapidly modernizing world. The figures in the painting seem to be staffage, not the main subject of the artwork, reflecting the loss of individual identity in a rapidly changing society. To understand the meaning of the painting further we could look into official records of the church’s congregation and other historical documents. We might understand more about Hassam’s critique of social institutions at the time.