Artwork
Mrs. Hassam Knitting (large)
Mrs. Hassam Knitting (large) is an ink print by Childe Hassam. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Created in 1918, this black lithograph presents a solitary woman seated in a chair, viewed in profile as she works a knitting needle.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1918, this black lithograph presents a solitary woman seated in a chair, viewed in profile as she works a knitting needle. The composition is rendered with loose, sketch‑like contours and delicate tonal gradations that convey a quiet, domestic atmosphere. The work exemplifies Childe Hassam’s interest in everyday subjects rendered with an impressionistic sensibility.
Subject & Meaning
The figure depicted is Mrs. Hassam, the artist’s wife, engaged in the routine activity of knitting. By focusing on a private, domestic moment, the image reflects early‑twentieth‑century concerns with the dignity of ordinary life and the intimate sphere of the home, offering a gentle meditation on leisure and feminine labor.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph on wove paper, the piece relies on the medium’s capacity for fine line work and subtle shading. Hassam employs a restrained palette of black ink, allowing the interplay of line and tone to suggest form without detailed modeling. The approach merges the spontaneity of impressionist brushwork with the graphic precision of printmaking.
History & Provenance
The print was produced toward the end of Hassam’s career, a period marked by a turn toward more intimate, personal subjects. It was likely issued in a limited edition, typical of the artist’s lithographic output, and has since entered museum collections that emphasize American printmaking of the early twentieth century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Frederick Childe Hassam was an American Impressionist painter, noted for his urban and coastal scenes.
