Childe Hassam: An Island Garden Revisited

by David Park Curry

A major book on a major American Impressionist. From the late 1880s to around 1915, Childe Hassam, America's foremost impressionist, frequently visited the Isles of Shoals, the site of a summer resort popular with many American artists and writers. Paintings from Hassam's Isles of Shoals series are among the most familiar icons of late nineteenth-century American art. But until now, a comprehensive selection of these beautiful works had not been collected in one place. David Park Curry's informative text provides the background essential to a full appreciation of these works. 105 full-color reproductions and100 black-and-white photographs.

Genres: Art

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1920

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I pick up a book knowing nothing of the subject. This is such a book. I was hooked immediately, as the author focused on the incredible impressionist paintings of the Isles of Shoals by Childe Hassam. Suddenly, a new world opened up, as I read the poetry of Celia Thaxter and marvelled at the illuminating colors of Hassam's artwork.

As a reader, I feel a book should open up new vistas, so I was thrilled to be drawn into the magic. The garden of Thaxter, I knew not. The Isles of Shoals, off the East Coast, I knew not. Childe Hassam, I knew not. Ignorant, perhaps, but somewhat enlightened now. I even Wiki'd the murders on Smutty-Nose Island, because the author mentions them in one unexplained sentence.

In fact, I will miss my daily dose of the gorgeous medicine this collection gave me, whether it's the oils of poppies or the watercolours of white sailboats against an aquamarine sea.


Book Season = Summer (visit the Shoals)

[dthaase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herein lies some of the background story of Celia Thaxter's Appledore house & garden and the artistic expression brought through the American Impressionist Childe Hassam. The time is the late 1880's and Appledore was a retreat for many, especailly a charmed circle of artists, musicians, and writers who would often gather in the parlor of Celia Thaxter's "inn". This book specifically chronicles the paintings of Childe Hassam and the works he produced during his many visits to the Isle of Shoals.