Throughout history, man has wanted that which he cannot have, be it money, fame, or a luxurious lifestyle. It seems that, in Victorian England, the idea of wishing for another reality was no foreign concept—this is clearly demonstrated in Frederick Childe Hassam’s oil painting, Sunlight Summer. In his captivating work, Hassam depicts a woman in a radiant dress reading a book by the seaside, enjoying such a living as previously mentioned. In this portrait, Hassam employs a few key methods which allow him to accomplish his timely purpose: an intentional use of light colors, an obvious point of focus or figure-ground expression, and a silky texture. Through these devices, Hassam gives us a glimpse of British color and its belief in a bright and free way of life.
The usage of colors is one of the most significant expressive factors in this piece of art work.Even by looking at the painting briefly, it is easy to tell that lighter colors dominate the picture.When people view brighter colors, usually they feel a sense of comfort and happiness. Especially in this piece, various whites and blues make up the majority of the color scheme, thus we can tell that Hassam is attempting to elicit a pleasant emotion from the viewers of the piece. Placing this painting and its related emotions in juxtaposition with the historical backdrop of the Victorian period, we may easily describe the ideal life style, or the lifestyle of nobility in Britain—particularly the public’s desire to obtain it.
Also, the focus point of the picture is a method not to be overlooked. Viewing this painting in the broadest sense, it is clear that the main point of the picture is the woman. Around her, the blue ocean and the gold sand shine in splendor. This background seems to direct our attention towards the woman, even though it, too is beautiful. Shifting perspective from the things around, we can see that the woman is wearing fine clothes with her hat on, reading a book—she is the largest object in the piece. It is not hard to tell that the woman is quite wealthy, so she could totally afford a life of luxury beside the beach. Once again, this is a picture the way in which people wanted to live, showing British society’s yearning for a life of ease.
As previously mentioned, one of the main elements used in this art work is texture. Texture appeals to the sense of touch and is the tactile feeling of an art piece, it draws attention to elements of the piece and creates intrigue for the viewer. The texture of this painting is excessively smooth and abstract; it depicts the material of the woman’s dress, the roundness of the rock and the waves of the sea in vivid detail. These subtle yet enticing inclusions draw the viewer’s attention to the overall peacefulness of this drawing and create a sense of relaxedness among the viewers. By evoking this calmness of pleasure and combining it with thoughts of easy living, Hassam lets the mind tranquilly drift and wonder about the actual way of life in that time period. At that time, citizens of England—particularly women—didn’t have freedoms enjoyed in modern times and were required to perform menial tasks and serve their elders. However, in this painting, a woman of all people is relaxing beside the sea under the sunlight, basking in silky sunlight created by the use of texture. This foreshadows the ideal lifestyle of human nature and the desire for women to seek freedom.
Therefore, Hassam utilizes texture, focus, and usage of colors to depict the ideal lifestyle of British Victorian society. Not only does he evoke a sense of peacefulness in the viewer, but Hassam also guides them to even deeper deliberation about the citizen’s freedom and independence. Such a smooth demonstration of a stark discrepancy between dreams and reality is one that few can accomplish, yet Hassam so brilliantly includes nonverbal methods to explain a great deal of opinions regarding the quality of life in his day—a topic which certainly contained a massive difference between the wants of the people and their actual situation. Perhaps it is this kind of art which inspires so many today to continue hoping for a better life, many never truly realizing their aspirations.
“What Does Texture Mean in Art?” Reference, IAC Publishing, www.reference.com/art-literature/texture-mean- art-15b5e20e02efcfca.
Women in the 18th Century, www.localhistories.org/18thcenturywomen.html.
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