Portrait of President William Waugh Smith 1907

Curator: William Merritt Chase painted this portrait of President William Waugh Smith in 1907. Oil on canvas, wouldn’t you say it strikes a somber, yet dignified note? Editor: Immediately, I’m drawn to the textural contrast – the smooth, almost porcelain-like quality of the face juxtaposed against the looser, more gestural rendering of the academic gown and the blurry backdrop. I wonder about the material and labor involved in producing those paints at the time, all that pigment grinding and mixing, and of course, the cost! Curator: A fascinating consideration! I see a calculated approach. It reflects Chase’s interest in capturing Smith’s gravitas, fitting for the president of a prominent educational institution. The controlled palette and the subject’s formal attire, I feel, were vital to projecting that desired image of power and respectability. Editor: I can’t help but fixate on that gown. It’s clearly symbolic of academic authority, but what were the actual conditions of its manufacture? Who made it, and under what circumstances? These academic robes seem ubiquitous, but I’m more interested in the unacknowledged labor that sustains this tradition. Curator: I concede that there's much to unpack regarding the unseen labor surrounding such academic symbols. Still, Chase likely focused on what that image represented socially – institutional strength, educational values, the very picture of societal leadership. The composition and subdued coloration serve these ideological goals perfectly, a way to uphold established systems through portraiture. Editor: True, but consider the social pressures on Chase as a portraitist, tied to commissions from institutions with specific interests to promote. I mean, what did it cost this particular institution in materials, studio rental and payment to create this particular piece and cement this particular power dynamic in oil paint? It is literally bought influence and material power depicted on canvas. Curator: Interesting way of looking at that balance of power in the piece. Editor: Art's always a reflection of the culture it emerges from. Hopefully one day more attention is paid to not only who it depicts but how that picture comes to be created in the first place.