The Deserted Beach 1902

William Merritt Chase made this painting, called The Deserted Beach, with oils on canvas. Look at the colour here, so muted – a symphony of yellows, greys, and blues. I imagine him squinting, trying to capture the exact shade of the sand as the tide recedes. You can almost feel the dampness, the cool air. The brushstrokes are loose and free, like he’s trying to catch a fleeting moment. I feel a kinship with Chase, trying to pin down something so ephemeral. As painters, we chase the light, the mood, the feeling. It’s a conversation across time. His beach scene reminds me of other painters grappling with similar questions of light and space. It's funny how we all try to figure out painting, what its possibilities might be. And, let me tell you, it's a total rabbit hole of uncertainty.