William Merritt Chase 1849 - 1916

Eugene Ullman, circa 1902 (gift from the artist)
Private Collection (by descent from the above)
Acquired by the present owner from the above, 1998

Ronald G. Pisano, William Merritt Chase: Portraits in Oil; The Complete Works of William Merritt Chase, New Haven, Connecticut and London, 2007, vol. II, no. OP.353, p. 181, illustrated in color

According to Ronald G. Pisano, "This painting depicts [William Merritt] Chase's daughter Alice Dieudonnée (1887-1971) sitting in the family's summer home in Shinnecock Hills, Long Island, New York. Chase here conveys a sense of a single moment in time, as if Alice were being interrupted from viewing the art book in her lap by her father's question. She was a frequent model for her father. The light from the window illuminates part of her face, leaving the rest in shadow. Chase gave this work to his friend, student, and fellow artist Eugene Ullman (1877-1953). Ullman studied at the Chase School of Art, where he later became a teacher; he also worked with Chase at the Shinnecock Summer School on Long Island. It is thought that Chase was so fond of Ullman that he wanted him to marry his daughter Alice, which may have been part of the inspiration behind the gift" (William Merritt Chase: Portraits in Oil; The Complete Works of William Merritt Chase, New Haven, Connecticut and London, 2007, vol. II, p. 181).