William Merritt Chase American, 1849-1916

William Merritt Chase was a leading American painter, teacher, and tastemaker of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, celebrated for his portraits, still lifes, and landscapes and for his central role in introducing Impressionism to the United States. His work is

confident brushwork, luminous color, and a cosmopolitan sensibility shaped by European training and American subjects.

Born in Williamsburg, Indiana, Chase studied at the National Academy of Design in New York before continuing his education at the Royal Academy in Munich. There he absorbed the influence of the Munich School, evident in his early dark-toned interiors and bravura still lifes. By the 1880s, after extensive travel in Europe, Chase’s palette brightened and his handling loosened, reflecting his engagement with Impressionism while retaining a strong emphasis on structure and painterly authority.

Chase worked across genres with equal facility. His portraits convey immediacy and psychological presence; his still lifes—particularly of fish and studio props—demonstrate virtuoso handling and compositional flair; and his landscapes, painted en plein air, capture light and atmosphere with freshness and speed. He is closely associated with Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, where his summer landscapes exemplify American Impressionism’s adaptation to local light and terrain.

Equally influential was Chase’s role as an educator. He taught at the Art Students League of New York and founded the Shinnecock Hills Summer School of Art, shaping generations of artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper, Rockwell Kent, and Charles Sheeler. As a teacher, Chase championed direct observation, technical confidence, and openness to modern European developments, making him a pivotal bridge between academic tradition and modern American painting.

Chase exhibited widely and enjoyed considerable acclaim during his lifetime, serving as president of the Society of American Artists and participating in major national and international exhibitions. His prolific output and charismatic presence helped define the professional identity of the American artist at the turn of the century.

Today, William Merritt Chase is recognized as a foundational figure in American art. His work is held in major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, affirming his lasting influence on American Impressionism and art education.