Childe Hassam (1859-1935), The Avenue of the Allies, drypoint, 1918, signed with the initials cipher in pencil lower right and inscribed “imp” [also signed CH 1918 lower left corner in the plate]. Reference: Clayton/Cortissoz 147, only state.  Printed on a sheet of old laid paper the artist tore from a book; with rough margins and losses from tearing of the sheet from the book, some repaired tears, 14 3/4 c 9 5/8, the sheet approx. 17 x 11 inches.

A fine impression of this very rare large drypoint, with substantial drypoint burr especially on the women lower right, also on the flags.

We do not know of another impression of this print to come onto the print market in recent decades.

Hassam collected fine papers for his etchings, sometimes finding them in old books; in this case he tore the sheet from a book of old architectural/geometric engravings (the engravings can be seen verso).

This is a view of Fifth Avenue near 59th Street, New York City. Up the street in the far distance the trees of Central Park are visible.  After World War I Fifth Avenue was renamed The Avenue of the  Allies during the Liberty Loan drives of 1918.  Hassam made a number of famed paintings of this subject  (known as the Flag Series), but just a few etchings,  starting in 1916 motivated in large part by his patriotism as well as his nearly lifelong love of New York City and Fifth Avenue.

Detail

Childe Hassam (1859-1935), The Billboards, New York, etching and drypoint, 1916, signed with the cipher in pencil lower right and annotated “imp” [also signed, dated and titled New York in the plate]. Reference: Cortissoz 87. In good condition, slight light toning, barely perceptible printer’s crease center, with full/wide margins ( the usual pin holes for drying all around), 4 5/8 x 6 1/8, the sheet 9 3/8 x 12 inches.

A fine delicately printed and atmospheric impression, printed on a wove paper with very carefully placed plate tone. The clouds at the top in particular have been left with a layer of plate tone, the darkening of the clouds consistent with the reflections on the street indicating that it has just rained (and two of the tiny figures on the street are carrying an open umbrella).

The upper left billboard reads: The Hassam Book, Scribner (see detailed illustration). These letters do not appear in the proof used for the  Cortissoz illustration. Cortissoz notes that several states of The Billboards were made, but does not identify them.  It appears that our impression represents a state in which Hassam has entered these letters. In the impression of this print owned by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, shown in the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1977 exhibit on Hassam, references to Hassam’s dealers E.A. Milch and Keppel are shown on the billboards, so apparently Hassam used this print as a vehicle to enter personal or specific references at different points in the print’s evolution.

The Billboards was done from an 1896 drawing made in New York City, Broadway and 55-56th streets, thus accounting for the horse-drawn carriages instead of the motorized vehicles that would be seen on Broadway twenty years later.

Detail

Childe Hassam (1859-1935), House on the Main Street, Easthampton, 1922, etching, signed in pencil with the cipher lower right and annotated “imp” [also signed Easthampton, April 22, C.H. 1922 in the plate lower left corner]. Reference: Cortissoz/Clayton 213. In very good condition, with full margins (with the characteristic drying holes all around). Printed by the artist in black ink on cream/ivory wove paper, with deckle edges; 6 x 12 1/8, the sheet 8 x 14 1/8 inches.

A fine impression, printed with a light layer of plate tone.

Hassam’s plates of Easthampton constitute a high point of American Impressionist printmaking, and the House on the Main Street is one of his finest; Paula Eliasoph noted that Hassam “deserves to be honored as Easthampton’s greatest poet, whose poems were sung on copper plate – with the rare command of colorful lines of light and shade for his words.”

Detail

Detail

Hassam - French Cruiser

Childe Hassam (1859-1935), French Cruiser, lithotint, 1918, signed in pencil with the cipher lower right. Reference: Griffith 8. In very good condition, printed in black ink on cream wove paper with a flower watermark, the full sheet with deckle edges, 6 x 11, the sheet 11 1/8 x 18 inches.

A fine impression of this rare print.

Hassam was of the course the pre-eminent American Impressionist, and French Cruiser is a superb example of his use of impressionism in printmaking.  In his lithotints he applied ink with the same fluidity as with his watercolors. The detailed line-work of the etchings is replaced with masses of black or grey on white, spatial recession is denied, and the images are vertically layered on the picture plane; this is all about the play of shadows and light.

Childe Hassam (1859-1935), A New England Barroom, etching, 1917, signed with the artist’s cypher lower right, and also inscribed “imp”. [also signed and dated in the plate lower right] Reference: Cortissoz/Clayton 124, only state. In good condition (platemark reinforced verso, the usual drying tack holes near the edges of the margins), with margins, 5 x 5 1/8, the sheet 6 3/4 x 8 3/8 inches.

A fine impression of this rare print.

Hassam printed this personally (the inscription “imp” is short for the Latin “impressit”.  After printing he dryed the print by tacking it to a board, hence the tack holes near the margin edges.

On the wall of this barroom is a framed picture of a soldier, oddly standing with his back to the viewer. At the foot of the bar are two spitoons.

Barroom is unusual aesthetically for one can see Hassam’s impressionist sensibility operating in this incongruous setting – a busy, rough commercial interior.

Hassam may not have been aware that he was using the verso of a signed print to print “Barroom”; the lower part of this print (The Linden Tree, Cortissoz/Clayton 90, a portrait of two nude figures), with the signature, can be seen verso.

Detail

Childe Hassam (1859-1935), The Old Mulford House, etching, 1926. Signed by the artist with his monogram in pencil, together with the annotation “imp.” Titled The Old Mumford House in the artist’s hand, bottom left sheet edge. [Also signed and dated in the plate lower right] Reference: Wofsy 264. Edition not known but very rare.

On cream wove paper with full margins. In very good condition, with the artist’s tack holes (used for drying) at the sheet edges, repaired tear and reinforced crease bottom left corner away from image. 8 3/8 x 10 7/8 inches (213 x 276 mm); the sheet 12 1/2 x 16 1/4 inches (318 x 413 mm).

A fine impression of this rarely encountered American Impressionist print – an atmospheric impression of an Easthampton landmark, with the play of shadows across the house working effectively as seen in the best impressions of Hassam’s work.

The “imp” after Hassams monogram stands for the Latin imprimivit, a notation indicating that this was printed personally by the artist.

Hassam is of course one of America’s pre-eminent Impressionist artists, celebrated on a large stage most recently with a show devoted to his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

]]> http://harrisschrank.com/the-old-mulford-house.htm/feed 0 http://harrisschrank.com/the-writing-desk.htm http://harrisschrank.com/the-writing-desk.htm#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:08:02 +0000 Harris Schrank http://harrisschrank.com/?p=574 Childe Hassam (1859-1935), The Writing Desk, 1915, etching, signed in pencil with the monogram and annotated “imp” (indicating that Hassam pulled this impression himself) [also initialed, dated and the words "Cos Cob" in the plate upper right].  Reference: Cortissoz and Clayton 56, only state, edition size not specified. In very good condition, on an ivory wove paper, the full sheet with deckle edges (the usual drying holes at the edges all around with associated small tears and losses), 10 x 7, the sheet 12 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches, archival mounting (acid free window mat with mylar unattached mounting corners). Ex. collection: [...]]]>

Childe Hassam (1859-1935), The Writing Desk, 1915, etching, signed in pencil with the monogram and annotated “imp” (indicating that Hassam pulled this impression himself) [also initialed, dated and the words "Cos Cob" in the plate upper right].  Reference: Cortissoz and Clayton 56, only state, edition size not specified. In very good condition, on an ivory wove paper, the full sheet with deckle edges (the usual drying holes at the edges all around with associated small tears and losses), 10 x 7, the sheet 12 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches, archival mounting (acid free window mat with mylar unattached mounting corners).

Ex. collection: Sylvan Cole, New York. Cole was the director of Associated American Artists, and founder of the IFPDA (International Fine Print Dealers Association).

A fine, light filled delicately printed impression.

This is a portrait of Mrs. Hassam at Holley House, Cos Cob Connecticut.

Hassam worked as a wood engraver early in his career, before his critical second trip to Europe in 1885. But it was well after establishing himself as America’s pre-eminent Impressionist painter that he turned to etching, in 1915 at the age of 56. This was the year he created The Writing Desk.

This impression of The Writing Desk has a light airy quality. The movement provided by the flowery surroundings and fine strokes of etching provides a fascinating counterpoint to Mrs. Hassam’s thoughtfull, contemplative mood.