The Gorge, Appledore 1912

Childe Hassam painted “The Gorge, Appledore” with watercolor, and it’s like he’s handing us a moment, a feeling, more than a strict picture. The brushstrokes are like little whispers, quick and light, building up these massive rocks with such airy touches. What gets me is how he uses the watercolors. They’re not trying to hide or smooth anything over. You can see the way the colors bleed into each other, like the rocks themselves are breathing. Look at that bit of blue, how it pools at the base of the rock face, almost like a shadow but also water? It’s so casual, but it gives the whole thing this unbelievable depth. The texture of the paper shines through it, adding to the airy feeling. Hassam reminds me of someone like John Marin, but with a calmer heartbeat. They both knew how to make watercolors sing, how to capture a place with just a few perfect sploshes of color. This painting isn't trying to tell you something. It's just showing you something, inviting you to feel it too.