Pablo de Sarasate: Portrait of a Violinist

William Merritt Chase's 1875 portrait of Pablo de Sarasate, the celebrated Spanish violin virtuoso, is a significant early work painted during his studies in Munich at the Royal Academy. Sarasate was one of the great performing artists of the era, a celebrity whose technical brilliance made him a subject for numerous portraits including one by Sargent. Chase's portrait demonstrates his growing mastery of the Munich school's fluid brushwork derived from Rubens and Hals. Capturing a musician of Sarasate's stature was an ambitious undertaking for the young American, and the Los Angeles County Museum's canvas reveals his early command of characterful portraiture.

Chase applies paint with the fluid, bravura handling he absorbed from his Munich training — dark grounds giving way to strong lights in confident strokes that capture the animation of Sarasate's face. The handling of the costume and background shows economy and confidence well beyond his years.