Celia Thaxter's Garden, Appledore, Isles of Shoals 1890

Curator: Oh, the textures here practically vibrate! The heavy impasto captures such a tactile sense of growth and sunlight. Editor: Yes, that's something that struck me immediately too. We’re looking at Childe Hassam’s "Celia Thaxter's Garden, Appledore, Isles of Shoals," painted around 1890. Hassam was drawn to the materiality of oil paint to convey the intense life of this island garden. Curator: Absolutely. A garden, especially one belonging to someone like Celia Thaxter, becomes a powerful symbol. Her salon was legendary, hosting literary and artistic luminaries. These vibrant hollyhocks almost embody her spirit—reaching, welcoming. Editor: I'm more interested in thinking about Hassam’s choices as a painter. The visible brushstrokes reveal a rapid application. I bet he was racing against the changing light to capture the heat of the sun, the way it saturated the colours in Thaxter’s flower beds. Curator: Yet these aren't simply technical exercises, are they? The light bathing the flowers gives them a transcendental glow. Hassam creates a space of serenity and perhaps even remembrance; after all, Thaxter’s life had both celebrated artistic community, but it had its share of tragedy. Gardens can represent so many emotional spaces... Editor: True. Still, look closely at how the pigment itself suggests value. Darker greens at the base contrast dramatically with almost fluorescent yellows. Consider also that "plein air" painting itself involved logistical hurdles - transporting easels, paints, canvas to capture an ephemeral view in the labor to complete the artwork is right in front of our eyes. Curator: And those reds and pinks, the dominant blooms reaching to the sky—there’s such an optimistic energy there, a defiant flourishing of beauty amid harsher realities, that are deeply humanistic values... It asks questions about resilience. Editor: Ultimately, it's in its social and physical manifestation where its truest value lies. It's been interesting looking past initial images to analyze both craft, time and location to discover the cultural, social meaning imbedded inside. Curator: Indeed, a beautiful synthesis—appreciating the flower and what makes its symbolism so powerful, as well.