American Impressionism, a vibrant painting style influenced by its European counterpart, flourished in the United States from the mid-19th to early 20th century, characterized by loose brushwork, vivid colors, and a focus on landscapes and upper-class domestic life. Introduced through major French exhibitions in the 1880s, the style initially faced resistance in America due to its radical departure from traditional art.

However, pioneering American artists like Mary Cassatt, who uniquely exhibited with the original French Impressionists in 1877, significantly championed the movement, leveraging her connections to convince wealthy patrons of its artistic merit. American Impressionists soon developed their own identity, favoring asymmetrical compositions and thick impasto techniques, while expanding subject matter beyond European landscapes to include intimate scenes of domesticity and vast natural settings in response to the burgeoning Industrial Age.

The movement reached its peak from the 1890s to the 1910s, thriving in numerous art colonies across the country, such as Old Lyme, Connecticut, and New Hope, Pennsylvania, which provided inspiration and community for artists like Childe Hassam. This period saw American artists embrace Impressionism, adapting it to reflect unique aspects of American life and landscapes.