At the Seaside c. 1892

William Merritt Chase's "At the Seaside" captures a leisurely beach scene, dominated by parasols. These aren’t mere sunshades; they are symbols of status, privacy, and protection. Consider the parasol: its circular form echoes the solar disc, an ancient symbol of life and power found in Egyptian and Near Eastern art. Yet, here, the parasol domesticates the sun’s power, turning it into a fashion accessory. The act of shading oneself transforms the sun from a deity into an element to be controlled. This is a peculiar inversion. We see a similar motif in Renaissance paintings where the Virgin Mary is sheltered by a baldachin, another form of protective canopy signifying holiness and separation from the mundane world. Perhaps, subconsciously, Chase is playing with these notions of protection and status. Like figures in a sacred scene, his beachgoers inhabit a space apart, shielded from the harsh realities of modern life. In the cyclical dance of images, Chase evokes the past to comment on the present, revealing how we continue to seek refuge and elevate ourselves through symbols.