Executed under the tutelage of Chase, Study of a Hat portrays a smartly-attired female sitter. However, the dark oval-shaped silhouette atop the model’s head is merely an accessory; Ketcham focuses instead on her confident gaze and delicate features.
In 1888 Ketcham moved to New York City and enrolled at the Art Students League. She spent nearly 40 years in the city. Thanks to Chase and Ketcham, a Hoosier enclave formed in the American art capital.
Affixed to the stretcher (reproduced below) is evidence of Ketcham’s continued participation in the Indianapolis art scene: a Lyman Brothers stamp from its display at the local gallery, and a label from an 1889 exhibition of the Art Association of Indianapolis. Six years prior, Ketcham had organized the Association’s first exhibition.
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