Old Washington 3rd Possibly 1926

Editor: This is Childe Hassam's "Old Washington 3rd," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's quite small, almost intimate, and the watercolor gives it a transient quality. How do you read the composition? Curator: The formal organization relies on a complex interplay of light and shadow. Notice how Hassam employs the stark contrast to define the architectural forms, yet simultaneously obscures them, creating an almost abstract rendering of space. Editor: So, it’s not just about the subject, but about the way the artist interprets it. Curator: Precisely. The subject becomes secondary to the exploration of line, form, and the very materiality of the watercolor medium itself. What did you glean from this analysis? Editor: I see it now. The focus is on the arrangement, not necessarily the representation. Curator: Indeed. A successful observation, I'd say.