Baltimore Museum of Art Class Trip

GINO SEVERINI

Italian, 1883 - 1966

Dancer at Pigalle's 

1912

Oil and sequins on sculpted gesso on artist's canvasboard

PIERRE BONNARD

French, 1867 - 1947

Breakfast in the Garden

1916

Oil on canvas

CHILDE HASSAM

1859 - 1935

Snowstorm, Madison Square, c. 1890

Oil on canvas

This last painting is my favorite.  Childe Hassam makes Madison Square Garden look like a peaceful winter wonderland, when anyone who has ever visited New York City knows that this is not always the case.  New York City is the city that never sleeps, but this painting tells a much different story.  Up close, I can see all the tiny brush strokes he uses to create a soft, blurred image of the city and all the snow pouring down from the sky.  I like the neutral colors he uses such as gray, beige, cream, navy, and orange.  His brush strokes are very light and precise on the ground and more smudged in the sky. There are several people and horses in the painting and I can imagine that everyone is strolling around, enjoying the beautiful scenery created by the snow.  This painting speaks to me because I have visited New York City with my family during the winter, especially around the holidays, and it always seems so magical to me.  Hassam captures this magic in his painting.  I also like all the little details such as the branches on the trees, the tower in the background, and the tall light posts.