The "Home Sweet Home" Cottage, Easthampton 1921

This etching of a cottage in Easthampton, or what can be seen of it, was made by Childe Hassam. It’s like the house has been swallowed up by nature, or it’s wearing its foliage like a fur coat. I bet Hassam was thinking about the fleeting qualities of light and shadow as he was making this. You can see how the light dapples through the leaves, creating a sense of movement and atmosphere. The artist’s scratching marks build up to create this scene. It must have been quite a process, layering those marks to create a sense of depth and texture, like each stroke is a breath held and then released. This feels like a conversation with artists like Camille Pissarro, who also found beauty in everyday scenes. Hassam is adding his own voice to the mix. Ultimately, art is about seeing, feeling, and sharing those experiences, and Hassam really invites us into his world here.