Accession Number
7211
Medium
Charcoal on cream wove paper
Dimensions
N/A
Classification
charcoal
Credit Line
Friends of American Art Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
William Merritt Chases Hand Holding a Lump of Sugar to a Parrot is a charcoal drawing on cream wove paper that exemplifies the American Impressionist painters approach to the charcoal medium, in which the tonal range and textural richness of charcoal are exploited to create images of extraordinary visual sophistication that rival the complexity of oil painting. Chase, who was the most celebrated art teacher in America in the late 19th century and a painter whose influence extended through his students at the Art Students League and the Chase School, produced charcoal drawings throughout his career that demonstrate the technical virtuosity and tonal subtlety that made him the model of the cosmopolitan American artist. The hand holding a lump of sugar to a parrot, a subject that combines the tradition of still life with the genre tradition of depicting everyday activities, provided Chase with a composition that demands the combination of precise observation and atmospheric subtlety that distinguishes his best work, with the texture of the skin, the shape of the sugar lump, and the plumage of the parrot requiring different approaches to charcoal mark-making within a single composition. The charcoal medium, with its capacity for both precise lines and broad tonal areas, allows Chase to create the contrast between the human hand, the sugar, and the parrot that gives the composition its visual interest, while the cream wove paper provides a warm ground that unifies the tonal range of the drawing.
Cultural Impact
Chases charcoal drawings are among the most accomplished works in the history of American draftsmanship, and Hand Holding a Lump of Sugar to a Parrot demonstrates the tonal range and technical virtuosity that make his charcoal work significant. His drawings influenced the development of American charcoal drawing and the broader tradition of tonal draftsmanship.
Why It Matters
A charcoal drawing on cream wove paper by Chase depicting a hand holding a lump of sugar to a parrot, combining still life and genre traditions with tonal sophistication and technical virtuosity that rivals oil painting in the tradition of American Impressionist draftsmanship.
