Dorothy 1902

William Merritt Chase made this oil painting of Dorothy sometime in the late 19th century. Look at the way he's applied the paint, how loose and free the brushstrokes are. It’s all about capturing the feeling of a moment, rather than getting bogged down in detail. The color palette is pretty restrained, mostly browns and creams, but notice how he uses those subtle variations to create depth and form, especially in Dorothy's dress, built up from countless layers of translucent glaze. There’s one spot on her skirt, near her left side, where the paint is thicker and more textured, almost like a little abstract painting within the painting, and this is how, I think, the painting really comes alive. I'm reminded of Manet and his portraits of Parisian life. Like Manet, Chase is interested in capturing the fleeting beauty of everyday life, and the way light can transform a scene. It all makes you consider how painting has an ongoing conversation across time.