Mother and Child (The First Portrait)

William Merritt Chase's 1887 double portrait of a mother and child — subtitled 'The First Portrait' in reference to the mother's rapt attention to her baby — is among his most intimate and carefully observed works. Chase was fascinated by the theme of mother and infant, which combined the formal challenge of the figure group with the tenderness of domestic observation. Painted in his characteristic Impressionist manner with evident warmth, this canvas now in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston represents the more private side of an artist known for bravura public achievement.

Chase renders the mother-child interaction with concentrated attention to the figures against a softly handled background. His brushwork is looser and more spontaneous than academic portraiture, with the figures emerging from fluid strokes of light and color. The palette is warm and intimate — creams, soft pinks, and gentle shadows.