William Merritt Chase: His Favorite Painters

"Memories" by William Merritt Chase

"In defining the qualities of a great work of art, William Merritt Chase said that it must contain three things: 'truth, quality and interesting treatment.' 

His own collection of pictures at one time included as many as six hundred valuable canvases, including examples of Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens, Cuyp, Cluet, Corot, Vollon, Daubigny, Ribot, Manet, Roybet, Gericault, Couture, Jules Dupre, Villegas, Isabey, Jacques, Boudin, Bastien-Lepage, Georges Michel, La Touche, Fromentin, Alfred Stevens, Carolus Duran, El Greco, Ribera, Fortuny, Sorolla, Mancini, Boldini, De Nittis, Raffaeli, Martin Rico, Leibl, Von Lenbach, Ziem, Hans Makart, Brangwyn, Sargent, Whistler, La Farge, Blakelock, Duveneck, Frank Currier, William Hunt, Twachtman, George Innes, Blum, Wyatt Eaton, Gedney Bunce, Irving Wiles and F. C. Frieseke.

Among the old masters his particular favorites were Velazquez and Hals. After them he valued most, Rembrandt, Titian, Holbein, Tintoretto, De Hooghe, Vermeer, Chardin and El Greco.

Chase not only introduced America to the works of Manet, since he was instrumental in influencing Alden Weir to buy two for the Metropolitan Museum, but he had much to do with familiarizing the American public with the name of Greco. When the Metropolitan Museum was considering the purchase of the Greco 'Nativity,' Daniel Chester French sent for Chase as an expert upon Spanish art to decide whether or not the work was genuine. 

Chase was also responsible for the purchase of El Greco's 'Crucifixion' for the Wilstach Collection in Philadelphia. One day soon after this picture had been hung, Chase, who was standing before it in the gallery, was questioned by a gentleman who was also studying the canvas. 'Can you tell me,' he anxiously inquired, 'if the artist had any authority for making the figure of the Christ so emaciated? And why should a picture so unpleasant be hung upon these walls? Who is responsible for its presence here?' Chase turned upon his questioner and retorted, 'I am proud and happy to state that I am the person responsible, and would have you understand, sir, that you are standing before the work of a great master!' With these words the painter made a dramatic exit. It was an outrage that rankled in his mind for long afterward."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Life and Art of William Merritt Chase" by Katharine Metcalf Roof.)