“The Apprentice (Boy Smoking)” is a notable work by artist William Merritt Chase, created in the year 1875. The artwork, rendered in oil on canvas, exemplifies the Realism art movement. The portrait measures 94.3 x 58.42 cm and is housed at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut, United States.
The artwork captures a young boy, presumably an apprentice, in a candid moment of respite. His attire, consisting of a soiled white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, is accented by a vibrant red neckerchief and draped by a large, dark apron which signals the labor his daily routine must entail. The boy’s face is marked by a look of stoic determination or perhaps a hint of the weariness that accompanies the life of manual work at such a young age.
His right hand holds a cigarette, an indication of the social customs of the time, and a detail that may invoke a reflection on childhood during that era. The boy’s gaze is averted slightly from the viewer, creating a thoughtful and introspective ambiance. The painterly brushstrokes and the use of chiaroscuro technique emphasize the textural quality of the boy’s attire and add depth to his facial expression.
Chase’s representation of the boy is not idealized but rooted in the realistic portrayal of a moment in life, characteristic of the Realism movement, which sought to depict subjects drawn from everyday life with honesty and without embellishment.
