An English Cod by William Merritt Chase

This captivating still life is in the worthy tradition of nineteenth-century academic masterpieces, reinvented with a modern touch. The brilliant artist Chase William Merritt signs here a work of great dramatic intensity entitled “An English Cod”. This painting highlights the simple elements of daily culinary life to reveal their intrinsic beauty and sacred dimension through a magnificent and unique treatment of the medium.

The work features a whole white fish lying on a porcelain plate decorated with blue and red floral motifs. In the foreground, two small silvery fish with bluish reflections lie directly on the dark wooden table. In the left background, an imposing golden brass three-legged vessel captures the ambient light. The neutral and very dark background creates a powerful contrast with the light, pearly tones of the fish. A theatrical and focused light, recalling the inimitable style of Caravaggio, beautifully highlights the shiny textures of the fresh scales and the metallic brilliance of the tableware, thus creating an intimate atmosphere of absolutely striking realism.

This still life bears witness to an outstanding artisanal craftsmanship. Merritt demonstrates a stunning virtuosity in the handling of oil painting, succeeding in making tangible the pearly luster of the fishes’ skin and the patina of the brass. His rigorous realism elevates this modest subject to the rank of a masterpiece of pure technique.