Landscape: Shinnecock, Long Island, William Merritt Chase
Link is to the painting in the collection of the Princeton University Art Museum, which has zoomable and downloadable version of the image on their website. There is also a downloadable image on Wikimedia Commons.
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I have long been an admirer of the paintings of the 19th century American artist William Merritt Chase, for his portraits, interiors, still life and landscapes. Among his landscapes are a series of wonderful paintings from his summers living and teaching in the Shinnecock Hills area of eastern Long Island, New York.
These depict gently rolling hills and dunes covered in wildflowers, dune grasses and scrubby bushes, which Chase rendered with his beautifully textural variation on the loosely related styles that are together known as “American Impressionism”. The compositions often included members of Chase’s family, idyllically enjoying the summer sun and sea breezes.
I have found the character of the landscape in those paintings particularly interesting, as it’s quite unlike the shore areas and beaches I’m more familiar with in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and western Long Island.
I finally got to see some of the area where Chase lived and painted over the last few days on a mini-vacation to the area around Amaganssett, East Hampton and Montauk, on the far eastern end of Long Island, and somewhat east of where Chase had his summer home and school.
I found it fascinatingly different not just from beach areas elsewhere, but from any other place I’ve been — quite beautiful and not surprisingly an inspiration for Chase and his students.
Related posts
Lines and Colors search: WIlliam Merritt Chase
“William Merritt Chase: Praised by critics, admired by colleagues and respected by students, the distinguished 19th-century artist produced paintings and pastels of gentle beauty”.
Thank you for sharing, Charley!
BTW, Chase poduced 120 still-life paintings of which only ten flowers.
One of his favorite still life subjects was fish.
Ah, now that’s a painting! Thanks for keeping us informed about the world of great art. Makes my day!
Lovely. I want to be there. I can smell the flowers and the ocean breeze. I would have my big hat on too, and be crouched down taking photos of the beetles and other tiny critters.
Thanks, Larry. Glad you’re enjoying the posts!
Thanks, Kate. Sounds ideal.
I immediately recalled that you devoted a post to this same painting several years ago: http://linesandcolors.com/2013/01/11/eye-candy-for-today-wm-chase-summer-landsacpe/
:~)
Oops. Thanks Levantine. I’ve done so many posts over the last 12(!) years that I can forget and repeat myself.
It’s okay, Charley, if you haven’t repeated yourself, many of us wouldn’t have
heard of Chase and/or his Fish. And made Larry’s day.
Some people have an elephant’s memory. They never forget.
I do intentionally revisit artists at times, but I try to feature different images.