Childe Hassam - Fifth Avenue in Winter - 1919

Source: Cleveland Museum

Childe Hassam's painting "Fifth Avenue in Winter" is one of the jewels in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection. This painting is part of a series entitled "Visible Lights" and depicts a busy New York street scene at night with its electric lights, illuminated storefronts and people walking along its pavements. Childe Hassam's use of light filtering through Manhattan skyscrapers gives this piece an additional dimension.

Background of Childe Hassam:  A leading figure in the American Impressionist movement of the 20th century, New York painter and printmaker Childe Hassam (1859-1943) was born into a wealthy New York family. His mother purchased his early art lessons from professional artist Walter Shirlaw, who taught him to draw with a pencil or pen. By 1862, Hassam had developed a passion for painting and began selling his works door-to-door in his hometown of Hudson, New York. After his father died in 1873, he was able to attend the Royal Academy of Art in London but returned to America in 1875.