The Deserted Beach 1902

William Merritt Chase painted "The Deserted Beach" using oil on canvas, sometime around the turn of the century. What's so striking is how he built this world using simple strokes, and colors that are almost muted but somehow still catch the light. The way Chase layers the paint, you can almost feel the dampness of the sand under your feet. There’s a real sense of place and time, a specific moment captured with these layers of colour. Look at the horizon line, where the sea meets the sky – the way the blues and greys just bleed into each other, it is so subtle, yet so powerful. "The Deserted Beach" reminds me a little of the work of John Singer Sargent, who was also interested in capturing these fleeting moments of light and atmosphere. Like a conversation between artists across time, each adding their voice to the ongoing exploration of what it means to see and feel.