Frederick Childe Hassam (American, 1859–1935). <em>Late Afternoon, New York, Winter</em>, 1900. Oil on canvas, 36 15/16 x 29 in. (93.8 x 73.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 62.68 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 62.68_PS22.jpg)

Frederick Childe Hassam (American, 1859–1935). Late Afternoon, New York, Winter, 1900. Oil on canvas, 36 15/16 x 29 in. (93.8 x 73.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 62.68 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 62.68_PS22.jpg)

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

The painter Frederick Hassam. What's a brief bio? His last name sounds something other than European.

Childe Hassam was born in Massachusetts. He and his wife moved to France for several years -- you can see the influence of French Impressionism in his art! -- but then returned and settled in New York in 1889. He also worked in Boston.

His family was originally English and in America they dated back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Their original English surname was Horsham but it was altered over time to Hassam. It's pronounced "HASS-um."

Can you tell me about this?

Childe Hassam is considered an American Impressionist. He was definitely inspired by the work of Claude Monet and other French Impressionists, but he applied that style (which he first practiced in Paris) to American subjects.

I really admire the effect of the snow falling over the late-afternoon/early-evening street. Old meets new in his paintings. You can still see horses and carriages, yet the buildings have electrical lighting!

Can you tell me about how this was painted?

The museum conservators did a technical examination of this painting, and found that Hassam first covered the canvas in a layer of pale purplish paint, before adding the details of the trees and carriages and subsequent layers of blues and greens. I think this is one of the reasons he captures the chill and gauzy feeling of an early evening in winter so beautifully.

I really enjoy this quote by Hassam: "If I want to observe night effects carefully, I stand out in the street with my little sketchbook, draw figures and shadows, and note down in colored crayons the tones seen in the sky, in the snow, in the reflections, or in a gas lamp shining through the haze."

Was this artist inspired by the French?

Indeed he was. Childe Hassam and his wife, Kathleen Maude Doane, traveled to Paris in 1886 stayed for three years.

There Hassam was typical among his American contemporaries for his immersion in the Parisian milieu and his attraction to French Impressionism.

Hassam was most inspired by the work of Claude Monet. Throughout his career, many of his contemporaries noted Monet’s influence, to the point where Hassam actually became irritated by how frequently the comparison was made!

Hello and thank you for using our app! It's interesting how many visitors have been drawn to Hassam's painting as the start to a conversation with us here on the ASK team. Can I ask what drew you to this work in particular?

The technique for painting the snow and the mist.

I was just about to say, I think viewers are drawn to how Hassam captures the feeling of a snowy evening so viscerally. If you give me a moment, I can tell you about his technique. While I type, try to look closely and see if you can find the layers of color he used.

The museum conservators did a technical examination of this painting and found that the canvas was first fully covered with a thin layer of a purple pigment, can you see it radiating from beneath the other layers? He then filled out some details, like the carriages and trees and figures, with charcoal on top of this later. Then, Hassam applied the different shadings of blue paint for the foreground and sky. These were done with thick, long, diagonal brushstrokes, which creates that feeling of snow in the atmosphere, or as you described it, the mistiness.

Having left spaces empty for the sketched-in charcoal details, he finally filled them in with touches of color. For the glowing effect of the gas lamps and electric lights, he used heavier touches of pink and yellow that punctuate the predominant blues.

I hope that helps you understand Frederick Childe Hassam's painting technique! If you enjoy this painting, I recommend also observing Henry Ossawa Tanner's "The Arch" in the peach-colored room in the American Art exhibition.

Thank you!

My pleasure!

Can you tell me about this?

I love this painting! If you were standing in that spot today, your back would be towards Central Park.

Childe Hassam is considered an American Impressionist. He was inspired by the work of Claude Monet and other French Impressionists, but he applied the style to American subjects.

Yes, it's cool to see impressionistic paintings of NYC when you're used to seeing Paris, etc.

I agree! He did work in Paris as well. Old meets new in this painting: you can see horses and carriages, but also electric lights!

Do you know where in NY this was painted?

Yes! That was painted on 59th street, right at the bottom of Central Park! The artist had his back to the park. It looks a lot like New York this week, doesn't it?

Late Afternoon, New York, Winter

Frederick Childe Hassam

American Art

On View: American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Counterparts

Frederick Childe Hassam here used a veil of pale blue paint, punctuated by daubs of pink and yellow, to re-create the enveloping atmosphere of a snowy winter’s day. As the most successful American Impressionist, Hassam was devoted to capturing scenes of modern life with a sense of immediacy. He achieved this effect through quick brushstrokes and attention to the evanescent effects of light.

ARTIST Frederick Childe Hassam, American, 1859–1935

MEDIUM Oil on canvas

DATES 1900

DIMENSIONS 36 15/16 x 29 in. (93.8 x 73.7 cm) Frame: 46 x 38 x 4 in. (116.8 x 96.5 x 10.2 cm) (show scale)

SIGNATURE Signed lower left: "Childe Hassam 1900"

COLLECTIONS American Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 62.68

CREDIT LINE Dick S. Ramsay Fund

PROVENANCE Before 1954, acquired from the artist’s estate by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY; between 1954 and 1960, provenance not yet documented; before 1960, acquired by Milch Gallery, New York; before 1960, acquired by John Fox of Boston, MA; by 1960, acquired by Babcock Galleries, New York; May 10, 1962, purchased from Babcock Galleries by the Brooklyn Museum.

Provenance FAQ

EXHIBITIONS

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in American Art Galleries, 5th Floor, Counterparts

CAPTION Frederick Childe Hassam (American, 1859–1935). Late Afternoon, New York, Winter, 1900. Oil on canvas, 36 15/16 x 29 in. (93.8 x 73.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 62.68 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 62.68_PS22.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 62.68_PS22.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2024

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT No known copyright restrictions

This work may be in the public domain in the United States. Works created by United States and non-United States nationals published prior to 1923 are in the public domain, subject to the terms of any applicable treaty or agreement. You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this work. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to the work. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. The Brooklyn Museum makes no representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement governing copyright protection in the United States for works created by foreign nationals. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

The painter Frederick Hassam. What's a brief bio? His last name sounds something other than European.

Can you tell me about this?

Can you tell me about how this was painted?

Was this artist inspired by the French?

Indeed he was. Childe Hassam and his wife, Kathleen Maude Doane, traveled to Paris in 1886 stayed for three years.

There Hassam was typical among his American contemporaries for his immersion in the Parisian milieu and his attraction to French Impressionism.

The technique for painting the snow and the mist.

Thank you!

My pleasure!

Can you tell me about this?

I love this painting! If you were standing in that spot today, your back would be towards Central Park.

Childe Hassam is considered an American Impressionist. He was inspired by the work of Claude Monet and other French Impressionists, but he applied the style to American subjects.

Yes, it's cool to see impressionistic paintings of NYC when you're used to seeing Paris, etc.

I agree! He did work in Paris as well. Old meets new in this painting: you can see horses and carriages, but also electric lights!

Do you know where in NY this was painted?

Yes! That was painted on 59th street, right at the bottom of Central Park! The artist had his back to the park. It looks a lot like New York this week, doesn't it?