Grant House, Catskills
Artist
Childe Hassam
(American, 1859 - 1935)
Date1917
MediumWatercolor
Dimensions7 5/8 x 10 5/8 in.
ClassificationsWatercolor
Credit LineCharles and Elizabeth Buchanan Collection
Object number1989.29
DescriptionThis painting depicts the Catskills Mountains in New York State to the northwest of New York City. Hassam often sketched outdoors in the company of friends in rural locations such as this. He also enjoyed seeking out subjects that were emblematic of rural life and that had an historic past. Two thirds of this painting is taken over by the mountain and vegetation, and only one third is given to the sky and clouds. Therefore, the painting's palette is restricted to various hues of greens, browns, and blues. Despite its title, the house is rather difficult to find in the vast landscape. Hassam shows a place that is a stark contrast to New York City by painting a landscape in which nature still reigns over man. Hassam spent June of 1917 in the Catskills as well as in Exeter, New Hampshire, another wilderness virtually untouched by man.
Hassam's handling of the watercolor conveys a sketch-like immediacy that invites the viewer to see his thought process as he laid down every brushstroke.
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