The South Ledges, Appledore

White rocks overlook the shimmering blue-green sea under the dazzling sunlight. A young woman in a white dress gently places a hand on her wide-brimmed hat, quietly gazing at the sea.

This beautiful painting captures a scene from a vibrant and popular resort where Childe Hassam, a master of American Impressionism, spent his summer vacations almost every year.

However, in reality, contrary to the serene atmosphere depicted, the island at that time was teeming with a "chaotic crowd" of tourists and cultural figures.

Hassam deliberately turned his back on that hustle and bustle, and simply continued to paint the deserted, rugged coastline and the world of the water's surface.

Furthermore, this work was painted nearly 20 years after the death of his close friend, the poet Celia Thaxter, who had introduced him to the island and was a central figure among the artists there.

While it is a summer scene painted with the dazzling light and vibrant colors characteristic of Impressionism, a deep nostalgia and poignancy for a bygone era can be felt in the back view of the woman sitting facing the sea.

What continued to fascinate him was perhaps not the island as a glamorous resort, but the solitary and unchanging beauty woven by these waves and rock formations, where memories of his friend lived on.