Cannon Beach, Oregon 1901

Childe Hassam created *Cannon Beach, Oregon* using pastels, a medium composed of powdered pigment rolled into sticks and held together with a binder. Notice how Hassam applies the pastel in short, choppy strokes that build up the texture of the rocks and capture the movement of the waves. This technique allows him to create a sense of depth and atmosphere, evoking the raw, rugged beauty of the Oregon coast. Pastels lie on the surface of the paper, reflecting light in a way that creates a soft, luminous effect, which is particularly evident in the way Hassam captures the play of light on the water. This work reflects a shift towards more direct, immediate modes of representation. Hassam's choice of pastels – a portable and relatively inexpensive medium – allowed him to work en plein air, directly responding to the natural environment. In doing so, he democratized painting, breaking from the tradition of studio-bound art.