Sketch for a Picture--Columbus before the Council of Salamanca (B) (Christopher Columbus before the Spanish Council)

This sketch by William Merritt Chase for a painting of Columbus before the Council of Salamanca relates to a large-scale history painting project undertaken during his Munich period. The subject depicts Columbus arguing for support of his westward voyage before the Spanish Council, a scene popularized by Washington Irving's 1828 biography. Chase's engagement with multi-figure history painting shows his awareness of the grand tradition expected of serious academic painters. The sketch format allowed him to work out compositional arrangements before committing to the larger canvas. Limited documentation survives about whether a fully realized version was completed.

The sketch shows Chase's Munich-trained facility with rapid, confident paint application. Figures are loosely massed and relationships established through tonal groupings rather than linear description.