An Interior (The Green Window Curtain)

Chase’s interiors have been repeatedly acknowledged as some of the finest accomplishments of American Impressionism. The collector Duncan Phillips praised their evocative qualities, "Whether it is the sumptuous splendor of a Venetian palace, shades from the summer sun, or just perspective of rooms, in which one would like to live, the charm of a Chase interior is immediate. It is more than a trick of cool light on reflecting surfaces, mahogany tabletops and hard wood floors. It is a hint of once familiar moments long forgotten, a sentiment of the quiet dignity of a patrician home" (quoted in R. Pisano, William Merritt Chase, New York, 1982, p. 64). Indeed, An Interior (The Green Window Curtain) demonstrates Chase's masterful brushwork and command of light, with its shadowy passages contributing a meditative quality to the space. According to Pisano, "paintings such as this illustrate the artist's limitless scope. The painting reflects Chase's interest in exploring light, space, and form...In just a few brushstrokes Chase captures the light reflected on the doorknobs, the two doors, and the silver samovar on the table in the back" (op. cit., vol. IV, 2010, p. 115).