William Merritt Chase - Hardcover

Pisano, Ronald G

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0823057399 ISBN 13: 9780823057399

Publisher: Watson-Guptill, 1979

Synopsis

A perennial favorite of museum visitors, the works of William Merritt Chase (1849–1916) embody the quintessential characteristics of American Impressionism: outdoor landscapes, a colorful palette, and an energetic brushstroke. 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; watercolors; 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 this title

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 thirty years before his untimely death in 2000. D. Frederick Baker is a director of the Pisano/Chase Catalogue Raisonné Project. Marjorie Shelley is Sherman Fairchild Conservator in Charge of the Paper Conservation Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

From School Library Journal

This third volume in a four-part catalogue raisonné on Chase covers Chase's paintings of the 1880s and early 1890s and reproduces a variety of paintings (49 in black and white, 209 in color) that together give marvelous insight into his exemplary depiction of light and shadow. Much of his work shows various vantages of Shinnecock Hills, Long Island, and surrounding environs in New York; however, Chase's trips to Munich, Spain, and Italy helped the progression of his skills, and some work done overseas is included. Pisano, who was curator of the Heckscher Museum of Art, painstakingly researched documentation of Chase's works to create this complete retrospective but unfortunately passed away before the project was completed; this volume was finished by Ph.D. candidate Carolyn K. Lane. One cannot help but wonder, in spite of the thoroughness of representation and documentation of paintings, if Pisano would have added essays or other writings to flesh out Chase as a man and artist. Even without extra text, this volume serves a valuable purpose for scholars of art and art history.—Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH
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About this edition

• Publisher: Watson-Guptill
• Publication date: 1979
• ISBN 10: 0823057399
• ISBN 13: 9780823057399
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 88