Childe Hassam, Avenue in the Rain, 1917, oil on canvas, The White House, Washington, D.C., accessed February 22, 2016, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/treasures-of-the-white-house-avenue-in-the-rain.
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Hassam was a staunch supporter of the Allied Powers in World War 1; he supported the Allied cause even before America entered the war. He, along with many other artists, offered his skills towards the war relief effort. Hassam was so passionate and interested in the war that he even entertained the idea of going to Europe to record the war, but the American government would not allow him to go. He was even once briefly arrested for sketching naval maneuvers along New York’s rivers.(22)
Hassam created a series of artwork of the American flag. Some paintings contain only one flag, others contain multitudes. His flags depict American sentiment from roughly 1917 until about 1922. During times of war, patriotism and nationalism generally experience drastic spikes in popularity; certainly World War I was no exception. Hassam was inspired for the series by a “preparedness parade” for World War I, which was on 5th Avenue in New York City. His flags always carry a sense of beauty and gravity. Several of these flag paintings were exchanged for war bonds.(23) The flags that Hassam created were unmistakably patriotic and representative of the American dream. They are all set on 5th Street, the most fashionable street in all of New York City. Some paintings solely contain the American flag, however, some paintings do include the Allies’ flags. Many of the paintings feature flags in prominent spaces, demanding attention. If there is no single flag demanding attention, the flags in the background are participants in the celebratory atmosphere on the streets of New York. (24) |
These paintings feature varieties of weather: from rain to snow to bright sunny days. The flag, and the metaphor to be drawn from it, persists through the gloom. The painting to the right features a bright, celebratory atmosphere, as do many of the paintings from the series of paintings. America and the Allied Powers are all portrayed in a positive light; they persevere through hardship.
The painting above portrays the American flags on a rainy day in New York City. Upon careful observation, one may notice that the painting uses only three colors: red, white, and blue. Many of the works in Hassam's series of paintings deviate only slightly from this palette; the painting to the right adds only yellow to portray the buildings and the sunlight shining through them. The intensity of the patriotism felt during this time manifests even through the choice of the paint itself. Hassam may have been the most prominent of American painters to paint a series of patriotic pieces, however he was not alone in the American and international communities. Other artists from different countries also contributed to the patriotic works of the time; one of the most distinguished artists to also create flag paintings was Claude Monet. (25) |
Childe Hassam, Allies Day, May 1917, 1917, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
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22. "Childe Hassam- the Impressionist Flags," Tutt Art, last modified 2012, accessed February 22, 2016, http://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2012/08/childe-hassam-1859-1935-american_6970.html.
23. "Childe Hassam- the Impressionist," Tutt Art.
24. "Childe Hassam- the Impressionist," Tutt Art.
25. "Childe Hassam- the Impressionist," Tutt Art.
23. "Childe Hassam- the Impressionist," Tutt Art.
24. "Childe Hassam- the Impressionist," Tutt Art.
25. "Childe Hassam- the Impressionist," Tutt Art.
Cover Image: Childe Hassam, The Water Garden, 1909, oil on canvas, accessed February 23, 2016, http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/14871.