Portrait of Dorothy 1901

This is William Merritt Chase’s Portrait of Dorothy and I’m imagining him painting it, the way he worked up the face in warm, pinkish tones against that shadowy background. Look how he’s used these bright white strokes to create a kind of ruffled collar. I can picture him, brush loaded with paint, almost sculpting the fabric with each gesture. It’s like he’s building the form right in front of us, the paint thick enough to feel the energy of his hand. Maybe he's influenced by the painterly bravado of someone like Frans Hals? That confident, expressive brushwork makes me feel the immediacy of his vision. It's as though Chase captures not just Dorothy’s likeness, but also a fleeting moment of connection, a particular quality of light. That’s what painters do, they are in constant conversation with each other. It's about feeling your way through, embracing the accidental, and discovering something new in the process.