Artist of the Day, August 31, 2026 : William Merritt Chase, an American painter (#2619)

William Merritt Chase (1849 – 1916) was born in Nineveh, Indiana, where he developed an early passion for art under the instruction of local painters Barton S. Hays and Jacob Cox. After serving briefly in the Navy, he relocated to New York in 1869 to advance his training, studying with Joseph Oriel Eaton and enrolling at the National Academy of Design under Lemuel Wilmarth.

When declining family finances forced a move to St. Louis, Missouri, Chase actively supported his family while remaining deeply involved in the local art scene. His talent caught the attention of wealthy local benefactors who financed a two-year study trip to Europe in exchange for paintings and assistance with their collections.

In Europe, Chase enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, studying under Alexander Von Wagner and Karl von Piloty. He built close professional relationships with American expatriates Walter Shirlaw, Frank Duveneck, and J. Frank Currier, whose work he collected extensively. Chase quickly mastered the loose-brush, figurative style popularized by his Munich instructors. In 1876, his acclaimed portrait "Keying Up" - The Court Jester won a prestigious medal at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, successfully cementing his prominent artistic reputation in the United States.
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William Merritt Chase

Self-portrait

Studio Interior, c.1882

Portrait of a Man, c.1875

The Moorish Warrior, c.1878

Tenth Street Studio, c.1880-81

Mrs Chase Playing the Piano, c.1883

Portrait of Dora Wheeler, c.1883

The Young Orphan or At Her Ease, c.1884

Alice Gerson in Prospect Park, c.1886

Lady in Black, c.1888

Portrait Of A Lady In Pink, c.1888

The Open Air Breakfast, c.1888

Afternoon by the Sea (Gravesend Bay), c.1888

Girl in a Japanese Costume, c.1890

Portrait of Mrs. C. (Alice Gerson Chase), c.1890-95

In The Studio, c.1892–93

A Sunny Day at Shinnecock Bay, c.1892

Lydia Field Emmet, c.1892

The Old Road to the Sea, c.1893

A Friendly Call, c.1895

An Afternoon Stroll, c.1895

Seventeenth Century Lady, c.1895

Study of a Girl in Japanese Dress, c.1895

Landscape: Shinnecock, Long Island, c.1896

First Touch of Autumn, c.1899

Still Life, c.1905-15

The Song, c.1907

A Venetian Balcony, c.1913

The Blue Kimono, c.1915

The Keynote, c.1915