The Old Book 1916

William Merritt Chase, sometime in his life between 1849 and 1916, made "The Old Book" with oil on canvas, which now lives in a private collection. I wonder if he saw himself in that open book, a vessel for stories, a place to record history, or maybe just a quiet corner in a busy world. The reddish brown seeps into everything, like the colour of warm spice. It’s a cozy, personal feeling. That open book, though…it’s like an invitation, right? A place to jump into. I bet Chase felt that way about painting itself. He, like other painters, was probably thinking about his place in art history: What conversations to tap into? What ideas to push against? What new stuff could he make? These are the questions all painters grapple with, and their answers accumulate on the canvas. It is a language passed on by a community of practitioners.