Top 10 Famous Paintings by Childe Hassam

Childe Hassam (1859–1935) can easily be described as one of the most notable Impressionist painters the United States has ever produced.

Although he was trained as an illustrator initially, which explains his fine craftsmanship, he studied in Paris at a time when the Impressionists were already at the height of their abilities.

Loose brushstrokes and vivid use of color and light are elements you find in this list of famous paintings by Childe Hassam.

If you like Impressionism, then make sure also to check out some of these famous Impressionist paintings.

1. The Avenue in the Rain

• Date created: 1917
• Dimensions: 106.7 × 56.5 centimeters (42 x 22.25 inches)
• Location: White House, Washington DC, United States

Have you ever seen some pictures from the Oval Office at the White House? Then there’s a good chance you have seen a painting titled “The Avenue in the Rain” hanging on one of its walls.

It was one of the thirty-something paintings that Hassam painted between 1916 and 1919, depicting American flags hanging in streets in American cities. It’s by far the most iconic of Hassam’s so-called “Flag Series.”

2. Rainy Day, Boston

• Date created: 1885
• Dimensions: 66 × 121.9 centimeters (26 x 48 inches)
• Location: Toledo Museum of Art, United States

While The Avenue in the Rain might be one of Hassam’s best-known works, in my opinion, Rainy Day, Boston, depicting a scene on a rainy day in Hassam’s home city, is the best painting he ever completed.

It was inspired by a painting by Gustave Caillebotte titled Paris Street, Rainy Day (1877), and shows a wide-angle view of an intersection on a gloomy day. It was a revolutionary American painting at the time as it depicts the urbanization of the US at the time.

3. Celia Thaxter in her Garden

• Date created: 1892
• Dimensions: 56.5 x 45.7 centimeters (22.3 x 18 inches)
• Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC, United States

Celia Thaxter in her Garden is the title of a painting that depicts the American poetry writer and storyteller in her garden on the Isles of Shoals at her father’s Appledore Hotel.

It features the typical Impressionist style that made Childe Hassam one of the most renowned American Impressionist painters of his time.

4. Church at Old Lyme

• Date created: 1905
• Dimensions: 92.07 x 81.91 centimeters (36.25 x 32.25 centimeters
• Location: Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, United States

The Church at Old Lyme is both a stunning masterpiece by Childe Hassam and a significant work of art in his career. After all, he was a leading figure of the so-called Old Lyme Art Colony.

Here we see the view of the church in Old Lyme, a town in Connecticut, during a beautiful autumn day. I particularly like the color palette in this one as the brown leaves of the trees heavily contrast the white stones of the church.

5. July Fourteenth, Rue Daunou, 1910

• Date created: 1910
• Dimensions: 74 × 50.5 centimeters (29 × 19.9 inches)
• Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, United States

July Fourteenth, Rue Daunou, 1910 depicts the view from a bedroom window of the Hôtel l’Empire in central Paris. It’s one of his iconic flag paintings, but completed several years before the American versions.

We can see the celebrations in Bastille Day, the national holiday in France, so it’s normal that we see a lot of French flags. Somehow, we can also see some flags of Belgium and the United States among the Tricolor versions.

6. Allies Day, May 1917

• Date created: 1917
• Dimensions: 75.1 x 62.5 centimeters (29.5 x 24.6 inches)
• Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, United States

Allies Day, May 1917, is the title of yet another painting that features a lot of flags on the street, this time Fifth Avenue in New York City.

It commemorates the entry of the United States in World War I, and therefore, we see flags of the three main Allies of this tragic incident in human history, the United States, France, and Great Britain.

7. Washington Arch, Spring

• Date created: 1893
• Dimensions: 66.35 x 54.92 centimeters (26.12 x 21.62 inches)
• Location: The Phillips Collection, Washington DC, United States

You already saw a stunning Autumn painting by Childe Hassam, but he completed several beautiful Spring paintings as well, including this one titled Washington Arch, Spring.

It depicts the famous arch called the Washington Square Arch in New York City. I probably don’t need to tell you that Hassam enjoyed painting bustling city scenes, as this canvas literally overflows with his enthusiasm for this type work.

8. The Water Garden

• Date created: 1909
• Dimensions: 61 x 91.4 cm (24 x 35.9 inches)
• Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, United States

When you look at a work titled “The Water Garden,” you’re not sure if you’re seeing a painting by Claude Monet in his garden in Giverny or a painting by Childe Hassam.

It depicts a lily pond of one of Hassam’s friends in East Hampton and really reminds me of one of Monet’s Water Lilies. The thick application of paint and hazy view really reminds me of the French painter’s style.

9. The Victorian Chair

• Date created: 1906
• Dimensions: 76.2 x 63.5 centimeters (30 x 25 inches)
• Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC, United States

The Victorian Chair is another beautiful portrait of a woman by Childe Hassam in which the color fo the chair contrasts with the woman’s white dress.

The woman is seated in deep contemplation, something that makes the viewer curious about what she is thinking. It’s not the largest painting in his oeuvre but a delicate work of art none the less.

10. The Bather

• Date created: 1905
• Dimensions: 62.23 x 51.10 centimeters (24.5 x 20.12 inches)
• Location: Private collection

The Bather depicts a naked woman who is about the take a bath in a lush forest landscape. It highlights the beautiful technique he mastered to depict natural environments as well.

What’s really special about this work, which sold at Christie’s for the humble amount of $151,200 in 2024, is the use of light, something that makes this relatively small painting really come to life.