William Merritt Chase painted “Still Life with Fruit and Copper Pot” in an effort to emulate the old masters he adored. Attending Munich’s Royal Academy, Chase (1849 – 1916) adopted its style of dark, lush colors, bold brushwork, and subtle lighting. Acutely aware of artistic trends, he was an American Impressionist, who, unlike the French Impressionists, was primarily concerned with subject matter, rather than lighting. Chase also believed that what he painted was secondary to how it was painted. A proponent of art-for-art’s sake, he avoided any romantic or sentimental treatments of his subjects. Chase was an internationally respected painter and the most prominent art teacher of his era.

© Art.com