Portsmouth Doorway 1916

Childe Hassam made this little plate, "Portsmouth Doorway," using etching, a process of drawing with needles on a waxy surface, and then dipping the plate into acid... It is all about that doorway, isn't it? Like a little stage set. I can imagine him outside, squinting in the sun. He scratches and bites into that plate, moving from light to dark, suggesting volume and depth. The crisscrossing lines feel so casual, but they build a cohesive whole, a moment in time. I bet Hassam was thinking about atmosphere. Look at how the hatching gets denser where the shadows are deepest. The leaves feel so alive, don't they? I feel the sun dappling on my skin, and suddenly, I'm transported. Isn't it amazing how a simple doorway can tell such a story? His composition is a conversation with Whistler and other etchers of the time who loved these kinds of street scenes. It makes me want to pick up a plate and needle. Let’s get to work!