Gathering Flowers, Shinnecock, Long Island c. 1897

Editor: "Gathering Flowers, Shinnecock, Long Island," painted by William Merritt Chase around 1897... it’s such a dreamy, sun-drenched scene. The girls almost blend into the landscape with their pale dresses and hazy surroundings. What do you make of this painting, especially knowing it was done in Shinnecock? Curator: This work reflects a pivotal moment in American art and social history. Chase established an art school in Shinnecock, Long Island, which catered primarily to women. Note how this painting normalizes women engaging in leisurely, outdoor activities; It's presenting an idealized vision of domesticity within the growing American landscape painting tradition. Editor: An art school just for women? I hadn't thought about how access to art education was changing. Curator: Precisely. Think about the socio-economic background of these women likely attending Chase’s school and depicted here. Shinnecock Hills became a resort community for the wealthy. How might their class position inform their portrayal of leisure? Editor: It adds another layer, it’s not just girls having fun in a field; it's also about visualizing a specific social class in a particular geographic location with increasing visibility. Curator: Exactly. The painting's beauty also reinforces the idea of accessible American beauty through women and landscapes; How do you think this impacts the reception of landscape art by female artists? Editor: I imagine that it normalizes, for some, and dismisses, for others, women painting the American landscape. This makes me think about how artists choose where to paint as a social act, and how Shinnecock worked as both an art colony and summer resort. Curator: A fantastic point. It brings another dimension to what was originally a leisure landscape. We considered issues surrounding access and socio-economics embedded within an idyllic landscape painting.