William Merritt Chase and the independence of American painting 1

William Merritt Chase and the independence of American painting 1

One of the great milestones in any nation’s culture is when it attains independence by training its own artists. Until then, most of the best have to live and learn in different traditions and societies. Although that has always been enriching, when it’s the only option it dilutes and stifles home grown art and cultural development. In the late nineteenth century several modern nations attained artistic independence, among them Ukraine and the U…