Bowl of Goldfish 1912

Childe Hassam’s “Bowl of Goldfish” captures a fleeting moment in time with oil on canvas. What strikes me is how Hassam handles the light; it’s not just about illumination, it’s like another character in the painting. Look at the way he builds up the layers of paint, especially in the garden view outside the window. It’s a flurry of greens and yellows, applied with visible brushstrokes that give the whole scene a kind of shimmering quality. The texture isn’t smooth; it’s alive, almost vibrating with energy. And that goldfish bowl – it's like a little world reflecting and refracting all that light. The colours in the painting are gorgeous. There’s something so intimate about the scene, like a snapshot of a quiet, domestic moment. Hassam’s work reminds me a little of Bonnard, capturing those everyday moments with such tenderness and vibrancy. Art, like life, is always in motion, always changing.