Isle of Shoals 

Childe Hassam created this impressionist scene using oil paint, a material intimately tied to the industrial revolution, with its reliance on mass production and distribution. The thick, textured application of paint in "Isle of Shoals" isn't just about capturing light and color, but also about the physicality of the medium itself. You can almost feel the weight and density of the paint, mimicking the solid, sun-baked rocks and the fluid, reflective sea. Hassam’s technique involved layering strokes of contrasting colors, a time-consuming process. He was among a generation of artists who benefitted from readily available, pre-mixed paints in tubes, enabling him to work en plein air. The painting reflects a shift in the art world where the hand of the artist, the labor involved, and the materiality of paint are celebrated as much as the subject itself. Ultimately, understanding the materials and the making process allows us to see "Isle of Shoals" not just as a pretty picture, but as a testament to the changing landscape of art and labor in the modern era.