Spring Morning in the Heart of the City

Spring Morning in the Heart of the City was initially completed by Childe Hassam in 1890, before he later reworked the piece during the years of 1895–99. It can now be found within the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA.

This piece captures Madison Square Park between Fifth and Madison Avenues and is just one of a number of New York-based cityscapes by the artist. He would often pick out scenes of parks and promenades as a means to bring some natural elements to an otherwise mass of concrete and humanity. He was passionate about these bustling locations and did not see the faster pace of life as a bad thing, but rather a sign of economic and cultural success. Hassam was highly patriotic and so would put a positive slant on most of his depictions of the US, whether that be the cityscapes or landscapes. The use of small figures alongside large buildings such as this feels similar to the work of Camille Pissarro and Hassam was heavily influenced by the French Impressionists. He would eventually take many of their strengths and combine them with his own ideas, plus the unique features of his own native US. He played a major role in spreading the Impressionist movement across the US, and creating opportunities for both European and American artists.

This painting is sized at 46 cm × 52.7 cm, making it relatively small considering the levels of detail that he included. Although he would leave most items blurred, as was the Impressionist manner, there would be enough commitment to these forms that individual figures and vehicles could be spotted. The tree foliage merges into a single mass of green, whilst the signs of industrialisation peek out from above, with a fairly subdued sky being used here. Many of those who live local to this spot will recognise elements of the view even today, giving a timeless quality to Hassam's Spring Morning in the Heart of the City.

The Met, as most now refer to it, is an incredible art institution with an enviable collection, which has helped it to become one of the most visited art venues in the world. They own a number of other items from this artist's career too, such as Celia Thaxter's Garden, Isles of Shoals, Maine, Surf, Isles of Shoals and Avenue of the Allies, Great Britain, 1918. With over a hundred Hassam paintings in total, it has to be one of the best places to learn more about the artist. That said, their overall collection is so large that it is necessary to check ahead of a visit that a specific artwork is on display as they simply do not have the room to show everything in their collection all year round. Much of their selection was gifted generously by local collectors who wanted the public to get to see some of their own possessions, and also liked to reward a gallery that perhaps had given them plenty of joy within their own lifetime.