The artwork, titled “Lower Fifth Avenue,” was created by Childe Hassam in 1890. It is an oil painting on canvas, representing the Impressionism movement and belonging to the cityscape genre. Currently, this artwork resides within a private collection.
“Lower Fifth Avenue” captures a serene, atmospheric moment in the bustling city. The painting is bathed in soft, diffused light, characteristic of Hassam’s Impressionist style. The dominant feature is the silhouette of a monumental building, its sharp towers piercing the sky, which is rendered with delicate strokes of pale blues and whites, suggesting a light-filled ambiance. In the foreground, a group of pedestrians stroll along the wide avenue adorned with bare trees, while carriages and a scattering of people denote the city’s lively activity. The juxtaposition of light and shadow, the fluid portrayal of human figures, and the careful depiction of architectural forms harmonize to evoke a poignant sense of place and time in late 19th-century New York City.
