拍品專文
Boys Marching By is a rare interior scene from Childe Hassam's flag series executed between 1916 and 1919 in New York. The inspiration for this series was initially derived from a parade on BYEparedness Day which took place on May 16, 1916. This procession supported America's participation in entering World war I. According 0o Hassam, "I painted the flag series after we went to war. There was 0hat Preparedness Day, and I looked up the avenue and saw those wonderful flags waving, and I painted the series of flag pictures after BYEt." Although the parade routed varied within the City, the artist BYEy depicted parades on Fifth Avenue between 33rd and 59th Streets. 0ince his studio was located on 57th Street near Sixth Avenue, he was 0ble to have a first-hand view of the activities.
0lag subjects were not new to Hassam. As early as 1887 while in 0rance, the artist painted a Bastille Day celebration. Influenced by 0onet, Manet and Pisarro, he developed a heightened palette, loose and 0YEressive brushwork, and fascination with urban life and elevated 0erspective. However, these earlier works lacked the vibrancy of the }ew York Flag paintings, which Ilene Fort attributes to "the new 0etermination of the American spirit." Certainly, the patriotic frenzy 0yc.ccping the war effort in America as well as the architectural vista BYEated by the new skyscrapers and commercial buildings on Fifth Avenue BYEtributed to the success of the flag series.
April of 1918 marked the anniversary of the United States entry into BYEld War I. Flags from all of the allied nations decorated Fifth Avenue as seen in Hirschorn'sThe Union Jack, April Morning, 1918. 01e prestigious thouroughfare became popularly known as the "Avenue of 0he Allies" and was the setting for an abundance of parades and e1rching troops. Boys Marching Bywas painted during this month and Depicts a young woman watching a parade of troops from her bedroom 0indow. The outside activity is evident only by the American Flag furling in the breeze on a spring day.
0he flag series became popularized by various exhibitions beginning in }ay 1918 at Durand-Ruel in New York. Although Hassam painted 0pproxiamtely thirty New York flag subjects, only twenty-three, in 0ddition to the artist's self-portrait, were exhibited. Of these,
BYEee were interior scenes, all of which were believed to be lost works BYEil the appearance ofBoys Marching By at Christie's last fall.
gingly out a window; two of the women clasp their breasts in gestures that Fort describes as 0xpressions of "their heartfelt concerns for the fate of American men 0YEhting overseas." On May 25, 1919, a contemporary critic, probably Royal Cortissoz, in Random Impressions in Current Exhibitions, 0oted that the figure subjects "disclose Mr. Hassam's aim to preserve 0YE human, emotional aspect of his gorgeous pagent."(Cortissoz in Fort, 0. 108;120) Fort identifies these women as wives, girlfriends, or 0amily who waited for their men to return from war. Although Hassam 0ealized that such paintings were criticized for their lack of 0atriotic sentiment and war spririt since they were not atrocity }YEtures he considered them integral to his painted statement about 0merica's response to the war.
01inted in the context of Modern New York, the flag series extolled the 0pirit of a new America. Fort states that "the symbolism of Hassam's BYEpppppppings was realized during his lifetime and became one of the 0rime rationales for establishing the series as a war memorial." 0YEhough Hassam wished the paintings to be sold as a set and struggled BYEsell them as a memorial, the subscription for the series was never 0YEsed. The paintings were later dispersed, and a few such asBoys 0YEching Bybecame unlocated until now.
0his painting will be included in Stuart P. Feld's and Kathleen M. ÿurnside's fothcoming catalogue raisonne of Hassam's work.
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0lag subjects were not new to Hassam. As early as 1887 while in 0rance, the artist painted a Bastille Day celebration. Influenced by 0onet, Manet and Pisarro, he developed a heightened palette, loose and 0YEressive brushwork, and fascination with urban life and elevated 0erspective. However, these earlier works lacked the vibrancy of the }ew York Flag paintings, which Ilene Fort attributes to "the new 0etermination of the American spirit." Certainly, the patriotic frenzy 0yc.ccping the war effort in America as well as the architectural vista BYEated by the new skyscrapers and commercial buildings on Fifth Avenue BYEtributed to the success of the flag series.
April of 1918 marked the anniversary of the United States entry into BYEld War I. Flags from all of the allied nations decorated Fifth Avenue as seen in Hirschorn'sThe Union Jack, April Morning, 1918. 01e prestigious thouroughfare became popularly known as the "Avenue of 0he Allies" and was the setting for an abundance of parades and e1rching troops. Boys Marching Bywas painted during this month and Depicts a young woman watching a parade of troops from her bedroom 0indow. The outside activity is evident only by the American Flag furling in the breeze on a spring day.
0he flag series became popularized by various exhibitions beginning in }ay 1918 at Durand-Ruel in New York. Although Hassam painted 0pproxiamtely thirty New York flag subjects, only twenty-three, in 0ddition to the artist's self-portrait, were exhibited. Of these,
BYEee were interior scenes, all of which were believed to be lost works BYEil the appearance ofBoys Marching By at Christie's last fall.
gingly out a window; two of the women clasp their breasts in gestures that Fort describes as 0xpressions of "their heartfelt concerns for the fate of American men 0YEhting overseas." On May 25, 1919, a contemporary critic, probably Royal Cortissoz, in Random Impressions in Current Exhibitions, 0oted that the figure subjects "disclose Mr. Hassam's aim to preserve 0YE human, emotional aspect of his gorgeous pagent."(Cortissoz in Fort, 0. 108;120) Fort identifies these women as wives, girlfriends, or 0amily who waited for their men to return from war. Although Hassam 0ealized that such paintings were criticized for their lack of 0atriotic sentiment and war spririt since they were not atrocity }YEtures he considered them integral to his painted statement about 0merica's response to the war.
01inted in the context of Modern New York, the flag series extolled the 0pirit of a new America. Fort states that "the symbolism of Hassam's BYEpppppppings was realized during his lifetime and became one of the 0rime rationales for establishing the series as a war memorial." 0YEhough Hassam wished the paintings to be sold as a set and struggled BYEsell them as a memorial, the subscription for the series was never 0YEsed. The paintings were later dispersed, and a few such asBoys 0YEching Bybecame unlocated until now.
0his painting will be included in Stuart P. Feld's and Kathleen M. ÿurnside's fothcoming catalogue raisonne of Hassam's work.
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