The Avenue in the Rain

Avenue Under The Rain is an Impressionist painting by American artist Childe Hassam, completed in 1917. The painting portrays Fifth Avenue in New York City during a rainy day and captures the atmosphere and essence of the bustling city.

An interesting fact about this painting is that Hassam was inspired to create it after seeing a victory parade in New York City celebrating the Allied victory in World War I. The flags, banners and patriotic spirit of the parade left a lasting impression on Hassam and inspired him to create a work of art that would capture the essence of New York City during this time.

Another interesting fact is that Hassam used a unique technique to create the impression of rain in the painting. Instead of using traditional methods of painting raindrops, Hassam used small dots of paint that he called "rain splashes" to create the impression of rain on the pavement and on the people in the scene. This technique was innovative for its time and adds to the overall atmospheric effect of the painting.

Today, The Avenue In The Rain is considered one of Hassam's most iconic works and is in the permanent collection of the White House, making it one of the few contemporary works of art on display in the Oval Office.

Another interesting fact about The Avenue Under The Rain is that Hassam was known for painting al fresco, or in the open air, to capture the changing effects of light and weather. In fact, he often painted from the windows of his New York City studio, which overlooked Fifth Avenue, the same street depicted in this painting.

Hassam was a master at capturing the essence of urban life and his use of light and color in this painting is particularly striking. The bright colors of the umbrellas and clothing contrast against the gray sky and wet pavement, creating a lively and dynamic scene that captures the energy of the city.

Interestingly, The Avenue Under The Rain was part of a series of paintings Hassam created showing Fifth Avenue during different times of the day and under different weather conditions. Known as the "Flag Series," these paintings were inspired by the patriotic spirit that arose in New York City during World War I and feature American flags prominently in every scene.