Summer at Shinnecock Hills

Oh I miss summer so much!

William Merritt Chase spent his formative years as an artist in Munich where he fell in love with Dutch and Spanish masters, whose dark palette and flashy brushwork he initially emulated. Upon returning from Germany in 1878, the Indiana native settled in New York, where he launched a career as a teacher.

In 1891, Chase opened a summer school for outdoor painting at Shinnecock Hills, near the village of Southampton on southeastern Long Island. With the possible exception of a class taught by John H. Twachtman, this was the first instruction in the United States devoted to outdoor painting. Summer at Shinnecock Hills is among the earliest of the artist’s signature portrayals of the region. With some variations, these works typically include women and children in sparkling white dresses accented with touches of pink or red, on the beach or nestled within the wind-swept grasses of the dunes. The clear vistas unobstructed by trees, the gently rolling contours of the terrain, and the delicate colors of the landscape provided Chase with a wealth of inspiration that was renewed each summer.

If you also miss summer, look at these picnic inspirations from art!