My Little Daughter Dorothy c. 1894

William Merritt Chase rendered "My Little Daughter Dorothy" in oil paint, a medium prized for its versatility and capacity for capturing nuanced textures. Look closely, and you’ll see how the material itself contributes to the overall effect. Notice the fluidity of the paint strokes, particularly in the rendering of Dorothy’s clothing and the surrounding interior. Chase masterfully manipulates the viscosity of the oil paint to suggest the softness of fabric. He captures light and shadow with subtle gradations. As a painter committed to capturing the immediacy of modern life, Chase embraced the possibilities of oil paint, exploring its ability to convey both surface appearances and deeper psychological truths. The amount of work involved in producing such a painting reflects the artist’s skill, but it also mirrors the labor required to produce the clothes and interior decor of the upper classes at the time. By attending to the materials and methods of its making, we can appreciate the richness and complexity of Chase’s artistic vision, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.