The LIttle Red Bowl 1912

William Merritt Chase’s painting presents a dark still life with a bright red bowl, a green pot, and some fruit, all resting on a silver platter. Imagine Chase in his studio, stepping back, squinting at the scene he’s set up. I love how the objects almost disappear into the dark background, that red bowl pops, demanding attention. The quick, loose brushstrokes make the reflective surfaces shimmer and the fruit look almost edible. You can tell he’s having a dialogue with the materials, thick paint in places, thinner washes elsewhere, deciding what to emphasize. Maybe he was thinking about Chardin, or Manet, those painters who found so much to say in the everyday. Painting like this becomes a way of seeing, a way of thinking. It's like Chase is saying, "Look at this, isn't it something?" And it is, because he painted it. It makes you wonder what conversations are happening between painters across time.