Bryant Chapin (American, 1859 to 1927)
Bryant Chapin was born, lived, painted and died in Fall River, Massachusetts, though he did travel on occasion to Europe, where he painted landscapes. But he was primarily a still life painter and sometime portraitist as one of the group of Fall River artists. Fruit was Chapin’s primary still life subject, depicted with atmospheric form and light, and high key color, and placed on complexly constructed tables whose shiny surfaces enhanced their reflections. The sense of presence and mystery he brought to these paintings was much appreciated by the public. Chapin later placed his softly, atmospherically conceived still lifes in an outdoor setting, as if the berries he favored as subject matter had recently been picked and were lying on the ground or in boxes.
In Chapin’s younger days in Fall River, Robert S. Dunning was his teacher, and, not surprisingly, Chapin was influenced by the more experienced artist. When Chapin grew older, he also became a well-known speaker and teacher at the Evening Drawing School in his hometown. Bryant Chapin’s paintings are represented in the Fall River Public Library.
Information courtesy of Charlton Hall Galleries, September 2006.