Begin looking at the bottom of the painting and slowly scan up.

What do you imagine you might smell and feel in this garden?

Where do you see shades of blue repeated?

[Click the "zoom" button to get a closer look.]

Between 1886 and 1916, Hassam worked and relaxed on an island called Appledore off the coast of New Hampshire. This island was a popular gathering place for painters, poets, and other artists. He would stay at the cottage of his friend, the poet Celia Thaxter, who helped her family manage a hotel on the island. Hassam often painted the lovely old-fashioned garden that Thaxter planted outside her cottage. In this close-up view, the flowers cover most of the painting. Beyond the garden Hassam gives us a peek at the brilliant blue ocean, sun-drenched rocks, and pale summer sky.

[Roll your mouse over the picture to see the names of some of the flowers.]