Surf, Isles of Shoals

Surf, Isles of Shoals is an artwork from 1913 by American Impressionist, Childe Hassam. It is one of many paintings that he produced whilst staying on the Isles of Shoals in New Hampshire, USA.

The artist's close friend, a novelist, lived upon the collection of small islands and Hassam would visit fairly regularly across a number of summers. He would only stop as a result of his friend's passing, but by then the region was very much in his heart. He captured scenes around her garden and further afield around the island. Artists and literary figures would gather together here to discuss their ideas and also to exchange artworks and poetry in a relaxed, informal setting. The tranquility of this place appealed to Hassam, and it offered him the opportunity to recharge his batteries away from city life. At that time, he could see how the large American cities were becoming more and more populated, and as much as he loved this sign of success and excitement, he realised that he could lose touch with nature were he not to escape from that environment every now and again. Within this scene, Surf, Isles of Shoals, he focuses entirely on nature and this reminds us of his connection to the earlier French Impressionists.

Within the composition itself we find a rocky setting, with waves coming in to disturb the peace. Spray lifts up as a result of this clash. The artist would, incredibly, produce many hundreds of paintings whilst in and around the island, constantly finding new items that could inspire his work. He would have been very familiar with this place by the end of his travels here, and spent his winters looking forward to returning in the summer each year. It can be understood why his poet friend would live here, able to think and create work without the stresses of modern life. Hassam would take advantage too, and his travels here were amongst the highlights of his entire life.

This item is listed as being 28 1/4 x 35 1/4 inches in size and is now in the collection of the highly regarded Metropolitan Museum of Art which is based in New York. It remains one of the best art venues in the world and its collection is impressively varied which helps it to cater for the many different backgrounds of the local residents of the city. Tourists flock here too, making it one of the most visited cultural venues in the world, and also adds an extra highlight to the rich cultural offering found within New York. They also possess a particularly good coverage of American art, which Hassam fits into smoothly. Most of the major names from the past two centuries can be found here, as well as some of the Euuropeans who might have inspired and influenced them along the way. Surf, Isles of Shoals remains one of the better artworks that he produced upon this attractice collection of rocky islands.