Isles of Shoals coast scene

Rocky islands scattered off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine, known as the Isles of Shoals, became one of Childe Hassam's favorite subjects. He returned to them season after season, pulled in by the tough stone, the wide-open sea, and the strong summer sun. This painting from 1890 shows all of it through fast, loose strokes that make the rocks glow in gold, rust, and soft lavender, while the water shifts between cool blues and greens. As one of America's foremost Impressionists, Hassam clearly chased light and color here rather than crisp edges, and the whole scene feels warm and sun-soaked.

Part of what makes these islands matter in Hassam's life is his friendship with the poet Celia Thaxter, whose summer salon drew artists and writers to the shore. He painted her gardens, the coastline, and these same craggy rocks over and over across many visits. At the center of the scene, seawater pushes up through a narrow gap in the stone, a small burst of motion that hints at the tide working away at the coast even in such a peaceful moment.