Just Onions 1912

William Merritt Chase made this painting, Just Onions, with oil on canvas. Chase takes an interesting approach here, applying academic skill to an exceedingly modest subject. It's an exercise in pure painting. Look at how much surface incident he coaxes from the onions, the copper pot, and the glazed ceramic vessels. The rough texture of the canvas, the thick impasto of the brushstrokes – these become the real subject of the work. This wasn't unusual. In the late 19th century, many artists began turning their attention away from grand historical narratives and towards humbler subjects. In part, this was a result of industrial capitalism, which offered a new, and arguably more democratic, set of visual experiences. Also, painting itself was becoming more self-aware, as photography stole its old job of perfectly replicating reality. Chase seems to be asking: can ordinary objects, rendered with extraordinary skill, be just as compelling as a heroic scene?