Beckwith recorded painter William Merritt Chase in dapper travel attire, including spats and a cane. An arresting passage of brushwork draws attention to the subject’s bejeweled left hand. Chase strove to ennoble his profession by dressing impeccably.

   Upon completion of their studies abroad, Beckwith and Chase set sail for the United States "to earn a living by their brushes," in Beckwith’s words. This 1878 transatlantic voyage cemented the artists’ friendship. Beckwith began sketches for this portrait of his friend while they were on another journey back to Europe.

   In 1896 Beckwith cropped the picture in response to criticism of an error in perspective.

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