Provenance
(Chase sale, American Art Galleries, New York, 7 January 1896, no. 1169); Louis Ettlinger [1845-1927], New York. Paul Mellon [1907-1999], Upperville, Virginia; bequest 1999 to NGA, with life interest to Mrs. Mellon; life interest released 2012.
Accession Number
2012.89.1
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 53.34 × 96.52 cm (21 × 38 in.) | framed: 74.14 × 119.7 × 5.24 cm (29 3/16 × 47 1/8 × 2 1/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon
Tags
Painting Impressionist & Modern (1851–1900) Oil Painting Canvas American
Background & Context
Background Story
This luminous painting from Chase's mature period shows a woman — likely his student or one of his children — gathering flowers in a sun-drenched autumn landscape. The subject was a favorite of Chase's, combining his love of plein-air painting with his talent for depicting graceful women in natural settings. The handling of dappled light filtering through the trees reveals Chase's deep study of French Impressionism during his years of travel, while the warm palette and decorative sense are entirely his own.
Cultural Impact
Chase was America's great artistic synthesizer. He absorbed Whistler's elegance, Sargent's dash, and the Impressionists' optical truth, then combined them into a style that was cosmopolitan yet recognizably American. Gathering Autumn Flowers exemplifies this: the subject is American (the Shinnecock Hills summer school where Chase taught), the technique is informed by French innovation, and the result is accessible, confident art that made modernism feel unintimidating.
Why It Matters
Chase's genius was making European modernism palatable to American audiences without diluting its innovations. This painting is a bridge between two continents and two centuries of landscape tradition.
