William Merritt Chase

Volume 1: The Paintings in Pastel, Monotypes, Painted Tiles and Ceramic Plates, Watercolors, and Prints

Pisano Ronald G., Lane Carolyn K., Baker D. Frederick

A perennial favourite of museum visitors, the works of William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) embody the quintessential characteristics of American Impressionism: outdoor landscapes, a colourful palette, and an energetic brush stroke. He was also a portrait painter of the first rank, a master of still life, a renowned teacher, and a leader of artists' societies. This gorgeous book, the first of a four-volume definitive catalogue, features Chase's stunning paintings in pastel, which constitute a major and previously understudied body of work by the artist; monotypes; painted tiles and plates; watercolours; and prints. Reconstructing Chase's oeuvre is a daunting task, as the artist left few records of any kind, and no documentation of his individual works exists. Furthermore, Chase's paintings and pastels have been forged in great numbers throughout the years, and many of these works still surface on the art market. Making this long-awaited volume even more valuable is a list of every known exhibition of Chase's work during the artist's lifetime, selected examples of major post-1917 exhibitions, and an essay on Chase's innovative pastel technique.

About the Author

Ronald G. Pisano, who was curator of the Heckscher Museum of Art and director of the Parrish Art Museum, researched and prepared the complete catalogue of Chase's work for over thirty years before his untimely death in 2000.

D. Frederick Baker is a director of the Pisano/Chase Catalogue Raisonne Project.

Carolyn K. Lane is a Ph. D. candidate in American art at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Reviews

"An extraordinary achievement... [Pisano's] work enriches our appreciation of a towering talent in late-nineteenth-century American art" – D. Frederick Baker, Antiques & Fine Art

Back to the list of books