William Merritt Chase: A Modern Master

William Merritt Chase (American, 1849–1916), a renowned figure in the international art circles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was a brilliant observer of contemporary life, an innovative painter, and an influential teacher.

As the centennial of his death approaches, this retrospective—the first in over three decades—will explore the interrelationships in Chase’s work across subject and media, from portraits and figurative paintings, to urban park scenes, domestic interiors, still lifes, and landscapes. Featuring more than 60 artworks, this exhibition examines the full breadth of Chase’s achievements spanning his four‐decade long career to shed new light on the artist’s aesthetic philosophy, artistic practice, and working methods while positioning his art and life within the vibrant international cultural climate at the turn of the century.

Credit: Exhibition Overview from the Phillips Collection website.

Whether you go or not, at the centennial of his death, the illustrated exhibition catalog, William Merritt Chase: A Modern Master, celebrates the breadth and richness of Chase’s career. Five essays by prominent scholars of American art offer new insights into Chase’s multi-faceted artistic practice and his position in the international cultural climate at the turn of the 20th century.