Allies Day, May 1917

American artist Childe Hassam painted this Allies Day, May 1917 just six weeks after America entered World War I. Fifth Avenue in New York City stretches north toward Central Park, decorated with the flags of the Allied powers: the Union Jack, Stars and Stripes, and French Tricolor. The avenue had been declared "the Avenue of the Allies" to honor the military alliance.

Hassam signed and dated the work "May 17 1917" in the center left. Using the brilliant colors and loose brushwork of French Impressionism, he conveyed patriotic optimism at the war's turning point. The red, white, and blue flags repeat about a dozen times along the buildings.

The painting belongs to a series of flag images Hassam created during the war years. It now hangs at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., measuring 92.7 x 76.8 cm.