Portrait of Alice Gerson, ca. 1883
by William Merritt Chase (1849–1916)9⅛ x 6¼ inches
Signed lower left: Chase.
Provenance
Jamie M. Martin
Private collection, Florida, by descent from above
[With] Betty Krulik Fine Art, New York, New York
Private collection, New York, New York, acquired directly from above
Literature
Ronald G. Pisano, The Complete Catalogue of Known and Documented Work by William Merritt Chase (1849–1916), vol. 2, William Merritt Chase: Portraits in Oil (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006), 280, OP.599. (Note: the catalogue raisonné incorrectly lists the dimensions as 15½ x 13 inches)
Related Works
Mrs. William Merritt Chase, ca. 1890, oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches; Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan
Portrait of Mrs. C. (Mrs. William M. Chase), ca. 1895, oil on canvas, 22 x 18 inches; Wichita Art Museum, Kansas
Note: William Merritt Chase created many portraits and figure studies of a young Alice Gerson (1866–1927). Her father ran a lithography firm in New York, and Alice became a favorite model for Chase, along with her two sisters. Alice and Chase later married, and he continued painting her portrait throughout their marriage, often with their children.
Artist Biography
A leading American impressionist and respected art instructor, William Merritt Chase was responsible for pioneering the plein-air movement in the United States.
By Chelsea DeLay
I. Biography
II. Chronology
III. Collections
IV. Exhibitions
V. Memberships
VI. Notes
VII. Suggested Resources
I. Biography
William Merritt Chase was born in the small town of Williamsburg, Indiana, on November 1, 1849. After his family moved to Indianapolis in 1861, the young teenager spent several years working as a salesman in his father’s store, David H. Chase Boots Wholesale and Retail.(1)