Woman Reading Newspaper

by William Merritt Chase (1849-1916)

Woman reading the newspaper, by William Merritt Chase

I came across this beautiful image of a woman reading the newspaper at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. I’d never seen it before, and have not been able to find a date for it. Despite its small size, it made a very great impression on me.

In Chase’s painting we see an elegant, modern woman, immersed in the newspaper, keenly interested in what’s happening in the world. Look how she’s holding the paper. You can almost smell the newsprint.

It’s hard to imagine today, but in the nineteenth century it was considered quite controversial for women to be seen reading in public, especially a newspaper. The idea was that women weren’t ‘serious’, and had no interest in the world of current events. Of course the opposite was true. It wasn’t that women didn’t care about politics, it’s that the politics didn’t care about them.

What I like most about this picture is its implicit modernism.

Most paintings of women reading tend to romanticize the subject. We often see women lounging and reading romance novels. But this is a modern woman, most likely seated at a café, with modern dress and a more practical demeanor. Wearing all-black she could easily be taken for a contemporary editor at a newspaper, were it not for the hat.

As someone who loves reading physical papers, this image appeals very strongly to me. Where I grew up it was normal to go to a café or restaurant just to read the newspaper, and often the cafés would have a large selection of the various daily papers. It was the most pleasant way to get your news. Personally, I still prefer reading the paper this way.

If you ever have a chance to visit the Houston Museum of Fine Arts (MFAH), I highly recommend it. I would especially encourage you to see their current exhibit on Fauvism (Mattise & Derain), as well as the Kehinde Wiley exhibit, including his capitivating bronze sculptures.

If you’d like to hear more about my visit to the museum, I’ve uploaded a podcast, available for $5 members. Simply click below to join.