Collection Spotlight: Charles S. Hopkinson, William Merrit Chase, and John White Alexander

MAACM’s Collector’s Gallery represents the passion for the art of collecting and the vision of MAACM’s founder, Rudy Ciccarello. This gallery showcases not only extraordinary examples of the decorative arts collection but also highlights the fine arts collection mounted in beautiful hand-carved gilt frames.

Notable new acquisitions from American masters such as Charles S. Hopkinson, William Merrit Chase, and John White Alexander will be on permanent display in this gallery.

Charles S. Hopkinson (1869–1962), an American portrait painter active from the Gilded Age through the post-World War II era, is best known for capturing the spirit of his subjects. Hopkinson trained at the Art Students League under John H. Twachtman, who influenced his early work, focusing on tonal subtleties. Hopkinson would study in Europe at the Académie Julian in Paris, where he was inspired by romantic painters such as Francisco Goya. Hopkinson returned to Boston, where he painted many notable figures such as President Calvin Coolidge and co-founded the Boston Five to modernize portraiture.

William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) became a prominent figure in American art at the turn of the twentieth century for his unique blend of styles and as a teacher for his influence on generations of future artists. Chase’s training at the Royal Academy in Munich is evidenced by the dark tones of his early work, including this example now in the collection of the Two Red Roses Foundation.

John White Alexander (1856-1915), was a prominent artist and illustrator during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and known for his graceful female subjects, portraits and murals. His entry into the art world began when he relocated to New York to work for Harper’s Weekly at the age of 18. After being a political cartoonist and illustrator for a few years, Alexander traveled to Europe in 1879 to further his studies. He enrolled at the Royal Academy in Munich, and became acquainted with James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s tonalist style and monochromatic palettes.