Hilda Spong (Primary Title)
William Merritt Chase, American, 1849 - 1916 (Artist)
William Merritt Chase’s dramatic flair for Grand Manner portraiture is on full view in this depiction of English stage actress Hilda Spong. Arriving in New York in 1898, she specialized in drawing-room comedies and was praised by critics in equal measure for her acting skills and elaborate costumes, not to mention her “pretty round arms” and “irreproachable” elbows. Chase’s portrait of the glamorous actress – poised for a cue or, perhaps, applause – captures the dazzling effects of her costume along with the vibrant atmosphere of the theater.
Signed lower right: "W M Chase"
Gift of Ehrich-Newhouse Galleries in memory of Walter L. Ehrich
"High Society: American Portraits of the Gilded Age" Buccerius Kunst Forum, Hamburg, 7 June - 31 August 2008
"William Merritt Chase, A Retrospective Exhibition", 29 June - 27 July 1957, The Parish Art Museum, Southampton, Long Island, NY
Miller and Rhoads, 22 - 30 September 1947
"William Merritt Chase, A Retrospective Exhibition", 29 June - 27 July 1957, The Parish Art Museum, Southampton, Long Island, NY
Miller and Rhoads, 22 - 30 September 1947
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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