Childe Hassam

Hassam traveled extensively in Europe, and his encounters with art by the European avant-garde informed the subject matter of his works from the 1880s, including this drawing depicting an urban scene. A woman in fashionable attire strolls with a large dog in the Boston Public Garden, which was near Hassam’s home. A narrative is suggested by the upward gaze of the woman and the dog, who fix upon something outside of the composition. A hint of Hassam’s later Impressionist style is evident in the generalized descriptive drawing of the foliage on Beacon Hill behind the garden, in contrast to the careful modeling of the figure.

This early work by Hassam was painted while he was working as an illustrator in Boston and may be a scene in the Public Gardens. Note the fine cross-hatching used to create shadow in the woman's face.