Product Description
Childe Hassam (1859--1935) created an immense body of work in the Impressionist style, comprising oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, and prints. His distinctive and enchanting images, with their focus on effects of color and light, are widely admired and are included in the collections of every major museum in the United States.In this handsomely illustrated book, the authors, all experts in the field, take a fresh look at Hassam's responses to his vibrant and complicated era. Their texts study his striking portrayals of cities and country sites in America and Europe. Also explored are his late works-those completed after 1900-when Hassam felt increasingly challenged by both modern life and modern art. These include tranquil interior vignettes, iconic images of New England churches, and his great Flag series. Hassam's life and career in Boston, New York, Paris, New England, and East Hampton as well as his travels are covered in fresh and insightful chapters. Essays on more specific subjects focus on Hassam's pride in his ancestry; his interest in architecture, gardens and allegorical themes; his accomplishments as a watercolorist and printmaker; his frames; the marketing of his art; and the contemporary critical response to it. The book, which also contains a chronology of Hassam's career and a comprehensive exhibition chronology, accompanies the first major museum retrospective of Hassam's works since 1972. Childe Hassam, American Impressionist examines this great artist's work in the context of his credo that "the man who will go down to posterity is the man who paints his own time and the scenes of every-day life around him." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

better than advertised!
The book I ordered "used" was still in the original shrink wrap, and a luxuriously printed book which I not only study from, but leave out as a coffee table book. I don't know how they can afford to charge so little, but I am delighted at my purchase.

Sandy K. on Hassam
I discovered Hassam at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth last year.I was especially attracted to his flag paintings since I am a retired U. S. History teacher.I can highly recommend this book.It is both thorough and quite visually attractive and, of course, Amazon has the very best price!!

Childe Hassam American Impressionist
This book is an excellent read and provides ample pictures for immense enjoyment. Through Amazon I was able to purchase the book for nearly half the price compared to anywhere else. Thanks Amazon!

Excellent book on Childe Hassam!
Excellent book for the student, collector, dealer or art historian interested in Childe Hassam! As one of America's foremost buyers of Childe Hassam paintings, I highly recommend this book. www.LawrenceBeebe.com

An essential addition to American Impressionist literature
My feelings about this book mirror the feelings I had when I attended the exhibition this catalogue is drawn from. I had the pleasure of seeing the Childe Hassam retrospective in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2004; it was one of the few times that I have seen total strangers turn to one another at an exhibition this size and speak with each other about their mutual amazement for the artist's technique. I knew a bit about Impressionism, and a bit about American artists such as Whistler and Cassatt who were influenced by Impressionism. But I didn't know anything about Hassam. Who was this wonderful artist and why didn't my college courses in modern art teach me about him?

I wanted to learn as much as I could, and this book provided me with the answers to both questions. Childe Hassam was the essential link between the Impressionism of Paris and later American descendants of the genre. He was a proud and gifted man who, like most giants, contained giant-sized paradoxes. He steadfastly denied the influence of Monet while clearly celebrating that influence in his cityscapes. He championed the spirit of the growing spirit of New York City while denying its increasingly immigrant population. In the end, like so many greats, he was an anachronism and ignored by the younger avant-garde. After reading and rereading this immensively informative book, I had a good idea of both who Hassam was and why modern art scholars have trouble with his standing among his peers. He's a complicated person, but aren't all great artists?

The illustrations in this book, as you'd expect, are not only first rate but complete. We are treated not only to full-page accurately colored reproductions but also to many enlarged details of the same paintings. All the paintings from the exhibition along with many that were notare reproduced here,and several paintings by Monet and Degas are included for comparisons. The writing style is largely academic, but I think most of this book would be accessible to anyone who loves to read and isn't easily discouraged by long blocks of text. This isn't an oversized picture book, but an indepth examination of Hassam that places him in the context of the early 20th Century.

If you enjoy Impressionism and the roots of modern art, and you have a penchant for learning all you can about some of the relatively forgotten figures from that time, you will not only add this book to your collection but cherish it. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Childe Hassam: An Island Revisited
Having a copy of An Island Garden prompted me to buy this wonderful book.Childe Hassam's impressionists beginnings are recorded by his work from this little resort island called Isles of Shoals off New Hampshire's coast. I am so grateful to have a little window into how Chile Hassam developed into the artist he was.Celia Thaxter became his poetic muse, and this book records his work from her little garden on Appledore to lighthouses, to the rocky shoals on the coastline. I highly recommend this book.

Better than the original.....
Somewhere in one of my many boxes of books I have a copy of a reprint of the original book by Celia Thaxter, "An Island Garden". I have written a review about this book for Amazon elsewhere, and said it wasn't very good (it isn't) and received many negative votes. My major complaint about the "other" book is that you cannot see the brush strokes in the paintings. The book obviously appeals to those who care not a whit about brush strokes.

Fans of Child Hassam--this is the book you want. No, it isn't the cute little book by Thaxter. The reproductions of Childe Hassam's paintings of Celia Thaxter's island in CHILD HASSAM: AN ISLAND GARDEN REVISITED are 100 times better--and you can see the brush strokes. I can't give this book five stars, because I collect art books know the reproductions could have been better. However, the reproductions in this book are head and shoulders above those in Thaxter's book.Not only that, David Curry has included much text about life on Thaxer's island and in her famous parlor.

If you are a fan of the American Impressionist Childe Hassam, you will appreciate knowing something about the artist, his work, his friends, and his relationship with Ms. Thaxter. Most of all, you will be able to see what he painted and get an idea of where you might locate some of the originals. They are still hanging in various places such as the Walter's Gallery in Baltimore and other esoteric locations. ... Read more

Product Description
Equally talented in oils, watercolours and prints, Childe Hassam explored rain-swept city scenes, glorious gardens, exquisite women and flag-lined streets. Approaching Hassam (1859-1935) from different angles, the authors of this work reveal facets and aspects of the artist's life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A gorgeous collection of a great American artist
I recently stumbled upon the works of Childe Hassam on a greeting card of all things. I looked up his work and realized this was going to be one of my favorite artists. The book is full of full page size paintings in color. I have to disagree with one reviewer here -the color is crisp and the paintings seem vibrant, I don't find any problems with the reproductions. I suppose you can pick apart anything, but for anyone interested in this artist, this is a wonderful way to get many of his best works in a single coffee table sized book. If you aren't sure if you like his work, just type his name into Google images and hit Large size. A fantastic impressionist that captured a now long vanished era.

Great book!
As one of America's foremost buyers of Childe Hassam paintings, I can say that Warren Adelson did a superb job authoring this "must buy" book! Perfect for the student, collector, dealer or art historian. www.LawrenceBeebe.com

Flagrantly bad color rendition
This will be the first and last Abbeville Press book I buy.Most of the plates are so far off in saturation, hue, lightness values they are laughable.Where reproductions of the same Hassam paintings appear in other books , such as American Impressionists (0823002128) or California Impressionists (0915977257), they are inviting and credible; here they are repugnant.I don't think I have ever seen plates so far off norm.I see that I have the firstprinting too, so it cannot be due to long run deviations.The sound you just heard was this clunker hitting the trash can.

Impressive art, informative biography
Beautiful full-page color photos are liberal in this fine survey of Hassam's career as an important American Impressionist artist. Hassam explored Impressionist themes in a variety of mediums: many of his pictureshave been hidden in private collections until now, others are on publicdisplay. Childe Hassam, Impressionist gathers many public and privateholdings and adds a survey of the artist's life and times.

A wonderful retrospective
This book is a beautiful example of Hassam's many diverse styles.The book contains wonderful essays and photos with a chronology of Hassam's life. A great book for anyone who likes art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Too Sketchy
Who was Childe Hassam and who is Ulrich Hiesinger? I'm not sure and I have no idea. I looked all over this book and I couldn't find even a brief biographical sketch of Mr. Hiesinger. Is he a journalist or an artist or aprofessor? I suppose I will never know. I do know a bit more about ChildeHassam. For one thing, his first name was really Frederick. There are somepretty extensive excerpts from letters that he wrote and he was anopinionated fellow, so you do get to know a little bit about him. He likedAmerican artists and did not care much for European artists. He thoughtvery highly of himself.... I wanted to know more about the soul of the manbut in that I was disappointed. The book is too much of a travelogue andskips from place to place in New England and Europe following Hassam aroundand giving cold facts about when he was in this place and what he paintedthere. There is not enough analysis of the paintings. Mr. Hiesinger is veryvague about what he thinks makes a particular piece good or bad, exceptthat in general he seems to think that sketchy is good and highly finishedis bad. I beg to differ, by the way. Hassam obviously had a lot of talentbut he produced too much work because he depended totally on sales toprovide his living. One strong point of this book is that there are almost200 reproductions, most of them in color. It allows you to see that Hassamproduced a few great paintings and a few good ones, but also many mediocreworks. He was at his best when he was young, in my opinion as later on hetended to dash things off to maximize sales. He was obviously greatlyinfluenced by the French Impressionists although this apparently was a sorespot with him. If you want an introduction to Hassam this is worthreading. If you know that you like his work it is worth buying for the manyhigh quality plates. If you want a definitive biography, this is not thebook for you. Tantalizingly, Mr. Hiesinger mentions in a couple of placesthat Hassam apparently had a lifetime problem with alcohol. You are nevereven given a clue as to what demons were in his closet... ... Read more

Product Description
The renowned American Impressionist Childe Hassam built his reputation on light-filled images depicting the streets of New York and New England's coastal resorts. He was also known as a consummate traveler who delighted in discovering and painting new scenes and unfamiliar landscapes. In 1904 and 1908, Hassam traveled west, visiting Oregon andthe surrounding region. He was captivated by the beauty of the Northwest landscape: its rocky coast, lush valleys, forested mountains, and stark high deserts. During his sojourns in the West, he painted at least sixty images ranging from portraits and still lifes to landscapes and seascapes in oil, watercolor, and pastel.

Childe Hassam: Impressionist in the West explores this significant, but little known, body of work in the context of the artist's entire oeuvre and larger developments in modern art at the turn of the century. This richly illustrated book investigates how Hassam's images of the West mirror a number of his personal and professional concerns; provides insights into technical aspects of his work, which he tended to adapt to the subject and circumstances at hand; and looks at how the West appealed to the artist's broader interests and concerns, such as his desire to create an art that was purely American in both content and style. Contributing an important chapter to the scholarship on Hassam and American Impressionism, the book includes an engaging essay by Margaret E. Bullock as well as a working catalogue of Hassam's western works known to date. Childe Hassam: Impressionist in the West offers a lucid and in-depth look at this intriguing interlude in Hassam's career and the remarkable works that resulted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Book Nitty-Gritty
A handsome book from the Portland Art Museum. Large format hardback, 111 pp, 2.5 pounds.

Hardback issued with dustjacket: cream cloth over hardback boards with a sewn binding. Heavy stock. Color illustrations throughout, many of them full-page. A high level of reproduction allows Hassam's brushwork and colors to shine.

Working List of his Western Paintings which is a sort of mini catalogue raisonne. 4 pp of bibliographic information. ... Read more

Product Description
This catalogue includes a short biography of theimportant American Impressionist Childe Hassam and eight sumptuousfold out color plates. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing’s Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
In her introduction to this new edition, the gardener, writer, illustrator, and craftsperson Tasha Tudor explores the space Celia Thaxter made for herself on one of the Isles of Shoals and the place her gentle, commonsense journal has held in the hearts of gardeners and artists for over a hundred years. A popular poet in her day, Thaxter is best remembered for AN ISLAND GARDEN, originally published by Houghton Mifflin in 1894. The book chronicles a year in the life of Thaxter"s garden on the island her father had purchased in 1848 and renamed Appledore Island. The hotel he built there was among New England"s first offshore summer resorts and attracted writers, musicians, and artists, including the American Impressionist Childe Hassam, whose beautiful paintings of Thaxter"s house and garden are reproduced in this book. Considered one of the most delightful examples of horticultural writing, AN ISLAND GARDEN has served as an inspiration for essayists and gardeners alike since its first publication. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

An Island Garden
I had read quotations previously from this book and it was fun to read the whole book, and also to be taken back in time to a previous century. Very interesting and most enjoyable!

A Passionate Gardener
Celia Thaxter tried poetry and fiction, but it is hardly a surprise that this book carries her mark on literature today. A woman possessed by the beauty of flowers, she planned and nurtured her garden year after year on a windswept island off the Atlantic coast of Maine and New Hampshire. Her friends and visitors included a small group of distinguished artists and authors. To those not terribly interested in flower literature, An Island Garden will impress anyway by the sheer passion and stamina of the author.

An Island Garden
This book is well-written and has beautiful color illustrations by Childe Hassam.It will appeal to gardeners especially, and also bird-lovers and those who are smitten with the coast of Maine.It comes in a slipcase, with an attractive gold-embossed cover and an introduction by Tasha Tudor.

Allen Lacey wrote the intro - Not Tasha Tudor
Sorry folks, Tasha Tudor didn't write the introduction to this fine book.Allen Lacey wrote it. That doesn't detract from the book, but it does correct the listing above.

The illustrations are photoengravings of the original stone lithographs. Stone lithographs (chromolithographs) can take up to 30 stones to reproduce the color of the original.Chromolithographs, like wood engravings, are an original art form in and of themselves.They are, naturally, the size of the book itself, and not meant to substitute for the original paintings.

This is an exquisite little book, issued in a slip case, and makes a nice gift for those interested in the asesthetics of gardening.

An absolutely wonderful book!
In the closing years of the Nineteenth Century, Celia Thaxter (1835-94) lived on Appledore, one of the Isles of Shoal off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Contemplating the lovely garden that she had created there, she decided to write down her thoughts and share them with us. Taking the form of a yearlong calendar, she walks us through her experiences in her garden, as she tends it and protects it throughout the year.

This is an absolutely wonderful book! Celia obviously loved her garden and all of the green growing things around her. This love shines through the narrative, such as when she wrote, "He who is born with a silver spoon in his mouth is generally considered a fortunate person, but his good fortune is small compared to that of the happy mortal who enters this world with a passion for flowers in his soul."

As I said before, this book covers a year in the life of Celia's garden, but is not written as a simple chronology. Instead, the book covers Celia's work and her thoughts, moving from advice to poetry with a wonderful casualness. The boxed edition of this book is handsomely decorated, with Childe Hassam's illustrations setting just the perfect tone for it. This book makes a wonderful gift for the gardener in your life, and I can't recommend it enough! ... Read more

Product Description
This volume contains a collection of paintings by one of America's foremost late 19th-century Impressionists, Childe Hassam. The paintings were inspired by the Isles of Shoals, a group of islands off the New Hampshire coast. ... Read more