My favorite painting in the Art Museum is Childe Hassam’s Rainy Day, Fifth Avenue. I really like the distortion in the painting created by the broad, choppy brushstrokes. When looking at this painting, one can see that there is some kind of event going on, potentially a parade, but beyond this, the event remains a mystery.
Being from sunny Arizona, I’m particularly fond of scenes incorporating rainy days, so this work definitely appealed to me! I wonder what is going in the painting, appreciate the bright spots of color created by the flags in an otherwise gray scene, and appreciate the sense of life created by the hustle and bustle of the people in the streets- people going through their daily lives despite the weather and crowds.