Self-Portrait

Art Historical Context

William Merritt Chase’s *Self-Portrait* of 1909 offers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s later years through a remarkably compact drawing. Executed in pen and black ink on two joined sheets of card stock, the work measures just under four inches tall, its irregular edges suggesting a spontaneous, personal study rather than a formal commission. The choice of simple ink on modest card stock highlights Chase’s mastery of line and economy of means, allowing subtle modeling and expression with minimal materials. As a drawing rather than a painting, this piece underscores Chase’s lifelong interest in direct observation and technical fluency. Its small scale invites close looking, rewarding viewers with the immediacy of the artist’s hand. Now part of the National Gallery of Art’s collection through the generous gift of William and Abigail Gerdts, the portrait preserves a quiet, reflective moment from an influential American artist at the turn of the twentieth century.

About the Artist

William Merritt Chase · 1849–1916

Prolific painter of portraits, interiors, still lifes and landscapes, famed for establishing the fresh colour and bravura technique used in much early 20th-century American painting. He was considered the most important American teacher of his time; after teaching at the Art Students League of NY he formed the Chase School of Art in 1896. Comment on works: genre, Portraits