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CHILDE HASSAM
1859 - 1935
CountryNew York City, New York, USA
BiographyThe son of a hardware merchant, Childe Hassam was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1859. Through his mother he was related to the novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne and through his paternal grandfather, held ties the the Hunt family, including the Boston painter William Morris Hunt and the architect, Richard Morris Hunt. After demonstrating an apptitude for drawing in his youth, Hassam became apprenticed to a Boston wood engraver in 1876. He was soon employed as a freelance illustrator, becoming a well-known figure in the profession through his work for such journals as Harper's, Century, and Scribner's. Intent on developing his skills as a painter, he took evening classes at the Boston Art Club during 1877-78. Hassam made his first trip to Europe in 1883. Returning to Boston he exhibited 67 watercolors to much critical acclaim. Hassam made a second trip abroad in 1886 and spent most of the next three years in Paris. While in Paris, Hassam showed successfully at a number of exhibitions including the Paris Salon and the Exposition Universelle. Returning to American in the fall of 1889, Hassam settled in New York City. He continued to pursue his interest in Impressionism, quickly developing a style characterized by brilliant light, vivid color and shimmering bruchwork. After 1915 he developed an interest in printmaking, etching in particular. he quickly acquired a firm command of graphic techniques, which he pursued with skill and acumen, for the rest of his life. In 1898 he helped found the Ten American Painters, a group of artists who seceded from the Society of American Artist in order to show their work in small, non-juried exhibtions. The membership consisted of John Henry Twachtman, J. Alden Weir, and Thomas Dewing. Childe Hassam made East Hampton, Long Island his permanent summer residence in 1919. He died there in 1935.www.askart.com/biography.asp?ID=7125
Person TypeIndividual