When American Impressionist William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) created A City Park, he had recently married Alice Gerson, the two of them residing with his parents in Brooklyn, New York. One of the local attractions was Tompkins Park, which Chase often painted, particularly during the summer months when it offered a welcome respite from urban living. Although the fashionably attired woman on the bench has not been identified, she could be Chase’s new wife who would figure prominently in his works of art, along with their future family of 8 children.
William Merritt Chase, A City Park, c. 1887, oil on canvas, Bequest of Dr. John J. Ireland, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Title: A City Park, c. 1887
Artist: William Merritt Chase (1849-1916)
CCO Public Domain Designation
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