Lot Essay
Described by a contemporary reviewer as "a brilliant study of a bright-eyed child in a Japanese robe," the present work is a striking example of William Merritt Chase’s unrivalled mastery of the pastel medium ("The Pastel Clubs Exhibition," New York Daily Tribune, May 7, 1888, p. 6). With Robert Blum and J. Carroll Beckwith, William Merritt Chase was a founding member of the Society of American Painters in Pastel. My Baby (Cosy) was notably included in the society's second ever exhibition in 1888, to much acclaim. Another critic laueded, "With its brilliant scheme of color, ranging from carmine to orange, this little picture was wonderfully decorative, holding the centre of the wall." ("The Pastel Exhibition," Art Amateur, vol. XIX, no. 1, June 1888, p. 3)
Depicting the artist's oldest daughter, Alice Dieudonné (nicknamed Cosy), My Baby reflected Chase's tendency to use his loved ones as models, as well as his ongoing fascination with Japonisme. The sense of admiration is heightened by the close attention to her robe, hailing from the Japanese culture that held Chase's attention for many years. Indeed, the artist named his second daughter Koto after his favorite painting student, Koto House. Of this work, Erica E. Hirshler writes: "The child wears a blue-grey garment, with a tightly wrapped red obi holding her in place as if it were a swaddling band...[Chase] capitalized on popular taste, to be sure, but he also intended to pay homage to art he deeply admired." (William Merritt Chase, Boston, Massachusetts, 2016, p. 42) A triumph of color and technique, the present work is a deeply tender, intimate portrayal of Chase's artistic passions in the late 19th century.
Depicting the artist's oldest daughter, Alice Dieudonné (nicknamed Cosy), My Baby reflected Chase's tendency to use his loved ones as models, as well as his ongoing fascination with Japonisme. The sense of admiration is heightened by the close attention to her robe, hailing from the Japanese culture that held Chase's attention for many years. Indeed, the artist named his second daughter Koto after his favorite painting student, Koto House. Of this work, Erica E. Hirshler writes: "The child wears a blue-grey garment, with a tightly wrapped red obi holding her in place as if it were a swaddling band...[Chase] capitalized on popular taste, to be sure, but he also intended to pay homage to art he deeply admired." (William Merritt Chase, Boston, Massachusetts, 2016, p. 42) A triumph of color and technique, the present work is a deeply tender, intimate portrayal of Chase's artistic passions in the late 19th century.