American Impressionist

Childe Hassam (1859-1935) was the foremost American impressionist of his generation. Prolific in oil paintings and watercolors, he found his native New England to be a touchstone for his art. Hassam had a fascination with Appledore, the largest island of the Isles of Shoals off the coast of Maine and New Hampshire, and he traveled there almost every summer for thirty years. This fascinating book traces Hassam's artistic exploration of Appledore – a complex portrait of the island created over time. John W. Coffey, working with the marine biologist Hal Weeks, revisits Hassam's painting sites, identifying where, what, and how the artist painted on the island. Kathleen M. Burnside considers how the artist's stylistic responses to the island's nature ranged from illustrative to impressionist and tonalist. A photo essay by Alexandra de Steiguer reveals Appledore's enduring beauty.