White cliffs of Appledore

Magnet #1071 - Childe Hassam's The South Ledges

Oh, there's the ocean again. Because you know how much I love the beach.

There's an amazing collection of American Impressionists at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in DC, and I was superexcited when I saw they chose this one for a magnet.

Despite the beach theme, I love, love, love this Childe Hassam painting of The South Ledges in Appledore, Maine. Hassam and a bunch of his creative friends all used to hang out at poet Celia Thaxter's house there during the summers, so there's more than a few Appledore paintings in Hassam's body of work.

Part of why I'm so drawn to this painting is because it's such a gorgeous color combination of blues and whites. Obviously. And always.

I'm also drawn to how the lady, presumably a well-to-do New Englander, is perched against the rocks, lost in thought. Honestly, the painting also reminds me of my favorite picture of well, me...against the world.

And, of course, the other reason I love it is because if you're just walking by the piece in a gallery, at first glance it feels like it's a Monet. Subtle differences show that it's not, and with each Hassam that I see, I'm getting better and better at telling the difference.

Or, I'm just getting better at reading the placards.