William Merritt Chase

William Merritt Chase was already considered "the American impressionist" during his lifetime. He grew up in Williamsburg as the oldest of 6 children. In 1817 he began his education as a painter. Already at the beginning of his career there were several exhibitions of his paintings, even at the National Acadamy of arts in Washington.

Then he went on a European tour financed by local patrons, which began with a study in Munich. He also spent much time in Venice. In 1878 he returned to New York.

When he returned to America he taught at various schools. Soon he was one of the most influential art teachers in the USA. His last teaching event was a summer course which took place in California in 1914.

Chase was a family man. With his wife Alice Gerson, whom he married in 1886, he had eight children. He made regular portraits of his wife and children. The artist spent much time in his studio, which became a well-known meeting place for the fashion-conscious members of the New York art scene. He had taken over this studio from the painter Albert Bierstadt and designed it as a gallery for his own paintings. Chase furnished it with valuable furniture, decorated it with stuffed birds, rare and exotic musical instruments and oriental carpets. In 1895, however, he had to close the studio again, as the costs for maintenance became too high.