(Frederick) Childe Hassam (American, 1859-1935) The Water Carrier, Auvers-sur-Oise

Description:

(Frederick) Childe Hassam (American, 1859-1935)

The Water Carrier, Auvers-sur-Oise
Signed and inscribed "Auvers sur Oise France F.ChildeHassam" l.r.
Watercolor with pencil on paper, 14 x 10 in. (35.6 x 25.2 cm),framed.
Condition: Toning, staining, nicks and losses to edges, tape to edges on the reverse.

N.B. Hassam's early artistic training centered around classes at the Boston Art Club and in private study with Boston masters including William Rimmer, Ignaz M. Gaugengigl, and William Morris Hunt. It was the latter who taught Hassam to appreciate the aesthetic of the Barbizon School, an influence visible in the work presented here, while Gaugengigl sparked Hassam's interest in realism.

Hassam first traveled to Europe in 1883, probably the year this work was created, visiting France, as well as Britain, Spain, Italy, and The Netherlands. Upon his return to his native Boston late that year, he exhibited sixty-seven watercolors at the Williams & Everett Galleries to great critical acclaim. As evidenced by this lot, many of his works from this period exhibited a soft palette of gentle browns and grays, creating an atmospheric haze in the manner of the Barbizon painters. The brushwork, however, is lighter than is typical of that period, foreshadowing his shift to an Impressionistic style.

This watercolor will be included in Stuart P. Feld and Kathleen Burnside's forthcoming catalogue raisonne of the artist's work.
Estimate $15,000-20,000

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