Pink Azalea—Chinese Vase

William Merritt Chase

1880–90 (?) · Oil on wood · The American Wing

Although Chase executed about 120 still life paintings, only ten were based on flowers. However, vases of flowers occasionally appear in his interior scenes and in his portraits. In this canvas an azalea shrub is depicted in a Chinese export porcelain vase, which is presumably used as a planter. Chase was an avid collector of bric-à-brac, including Asian artifacts. The asymmetrical composition of this painting hints at another important aspect of Chase's orientalism: his willingness to emulate some of the basic design principles of Far Eastern art.

Artist

William Merritt Chase

Date

1880–90 (?)

Medium

Oil on wood

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. J. Augustus Barnard, 1979