9/8 Assignment

9/8 Assignment

This is Hassan’s “Washington Arch, Spring”, painted in 1890. The arch is located at the entrance to Washington Square Park at the base of 5^th Avenue. Hassam painted from the street level perspective, as evident in the elevated position of the arch in the background. I believe he was also quite a distance from the arch with his back towards the intersection. The light source is behind the painter, towards the left. I would think this is in the afternoon.

The differences between the original painting and the modern day photograph are quite obvious: the trees that line the sidewalk in front of the arch are absent in the photograph, the angle of the arch in respect to the viewer is a bit different, the distance from the arch is also slightly different, and there are more buildings in the background. I did some research and found out that the park was remodeled and reshaped a couple of times in its history. The square was leveled out and made more into a courtyard than a walkway. Statues of George Washington, the park’s namesake, now grace the front of the arch where it used to be just blank marble.

The similarities are still present in the overall location of the photograph. I believe the lighting is also very similar, evident in the shadows cast on the ground. The seasons are different, which may account for the varying qualities of light, but overall, I think I have captured Hassan’s original vantage point for his painting.