Flags, Fifth Avenue 1918

Childe Hassam made this painting, Flags, Fifth Avenue with watercolor. It looks like it was done wet on wet. I wonder, was it on site? Did he work at speed to capture a moment? Just imagine being there with Hassam, amidst the flags, the city buildings, and the energy of the crowd. I can feel him standing there trying to capture the excitement of the scene with rapid brushstrokes. Look at how he has laid down the washes of color with a sense of freedom and spontaneity! See how the blue seeps in the buildings and the street to give unity. Hassam’s a real colorist. I wonder, what was he thinking about as he made this? I think this painting has a lot in common with the work of other impressionists like Monet and Pissarro. I think these artists all teach one another something about how to see and represent the world around us. These artists were looking at each other and the world and sharing ideas, so maybe we all are!