William Chase
William Chase was born in 1849 in Indiana to an adequately successful shoe
merchant. He was the oldest of six children. In 1861, Chase’s father moved his family to Indianapolis and employed Chase to work for the family business. After showing an early interest in art, Chase studied under two self-taught artists, Jacob Cox and Barton S. Hays. For a brief time, Chase served in the Navy, but he was persuaded by his teachers to travel to New York to further his artistic training. After arriving in 1869, he studied under Joseph Oriel Eaton then moved on to the National Academy of Design under Lemuel Wilmarth.
Declining family money forced Chase to move to St. Louis, Missouri where his family was then based. Alongside working to support his family, Chase became
active in the local art community of St. Louis. He exhibited his first piece in 1871 at the National Academy. His talent brought wealthy collectors to him that offered to pay for him to visit Europe for two years, for painting and European art. Once in Europe, Chase settled at the Academy of Fine Arts. And in January, 1876, Chase exhibited at the Boston Art Club. Later that year “Keying Up - The Court Jester" was exhibited at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition and he won a medal. In 1887 Chase married Alice Gerson and then moved to his parent’s house in Brooklyn. Chase was a successful impressionist, that held to tradition throughout his pieces. Chase died in 1916 in New York.