William Merritt Chase, Portrait of the Art Dealer, Otto Fleischman, ca. 1870-1879, oil on canvas, 26 1/2 in. x 21 1/2 in. (67.31 cm x 54.61 cm), The first American artists to profit from European training were based in Munich, Germany, where the curriculum stressed a realist approach to painting. At the Royal Academy there,students like William Merritt Chase were encouraged to imitate the paintings of seventeenth-century Dutch masters, notably Rembrandt and Frans Hals. This portrait of the Munich art dealer Otto Fleischman exhibits the low-toned palette, striking contrasts, and rugged brushwork characteristic of this school of painting. While American critics saw no beauty in Chase's early work, they praised the facility and swiftness of execution that imbued his canvases with 'élan.' They complained repeatedly, however, that the artist's technical bravura—manifest in the treatment of Fleischman's face—obviated feeling for his subjects. Compared to the anatomically grounded work of Paris students, the Munich artists' emphasis on brushwork led to repeated charges of superficiality.
Keywords:
William Merritt Chase, Portrait, Art Dealer, Otto Fleischman, ca. 1870-1879, oil, canvas, 26 1/2 . x 21 1/2, 67.31 cm x 54.61 cm, first American artists, profit, European training, based, Munich, Germany, curriculum stressed, realist approach, painting., Royal Academy, students, William Merritt Chase, encouraged, imitate, paintings, seventeenth-century Dutch masters, notably Rembrandt, Frans Hals., portrait, Munich art dealer Otto Fleischman exhibits, low-toned palette, striking contrasts, rugged brushwork characteristic, school, painting., American critics saw no beauty, Chase's early work, praised, facility, swiftness, execution, imbued, canvases, 'élan.', complained repeatedly, artist's technical bravura—manifest, treatment, Fleischman's face—obviated feeling, subjects. Compared, anatomically grounded work, Paris students, Munich artists' emphasis, brushwork led, repeated charges, superficiality
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