Against the Light

Childe Hassam's "Against the Light" (1907) is a graphite drawing with touches of pen and brownish-red ink and brush and pink gouache on dark tan wove paper. Hassam (1859–1935) was the leading American Impressionist, known for his vibrant depictions of New York City, New England coastal scenes, and flower-filled gardens. This drawing shows his skill in monochrome and near-monochrome media. The dark tan paper provides a mid-tone against which the graphite builds shadows and the pink gouache and brownish-red ink add subtle color accents. The subject—a figure or scene "against the light"—is a characteristic Impressionist theme, capturing the effects of backlighting on form and atmosphere. The combination of media is unusual and shows Hassam experimenting with different techniques. The touches of pink gouache, in particular, add a surprising and effective warmth to the predominantly graphite composition. This work demonstrates that Hassam's draftsmanship was as accomplished as his more famous oil paintings.

Hassam was the foremost American Impressionist and a founding member of The Ten, a group of American artists who championed Impressionism against the conservative establishment.

This mixed-media drawing captures the Impressionist fascination with backlighting, the graphite and touches of color on dark paper effectively conveying the luminous effects of light filtering through or behind a subject.