Acorn Street, Boston 1919

Childe Hassam made "Acorn Street, Boston" with what looks like watercolor and graphite, probably en plein air. The brisk, sketchy lines and diluted washes give it a real sense of immediacy, like a visual diary entry. I mean, look at how he's rendered the brickwork. Each brick is an individual stroke, yet they come together to form a solid, imposing structure. There's a tension between detail and impression, which is what painting is all about. Then there's the light. See how it glances off the flags overhead, how their shadows fall across the street? Hassam's really captured the feeling of a bright, breezy day. It reminds me of the way John Singer Sargent would dash off these seemingly effortless watercolors, full of light and movement. But, you know, Hassam’s got his own thing going on here. It’s like he’s saying, "Here's Boston, in all its bricky, flag-waving glory - take it or leave it!" I love that.