Early Life, Family and Artistic Training

Susan Brown Chase was born in 1868 in St. Louis, Missouri, US. Her early years in the American Midwest provided the foundation for a career that would eventually center on the capital. She married Volney Ogle Chase, and together they had two children. This domestic life existed alongside a rigorous commitment to formal instruction, a necessity for any serious practitioner of the era.

Her technical development was shaped by a succession of instructors. She studied art under Edmund C. Messer and Bertha E. Perrie. This training expanded through the influence of William Henry Holmes, Henry B. Snell, William Lester Stevens, and George Pearse Ennis. Such a diverse lineage of teachers suggests a disciplined approach to the fundamentals of her craft. Beyond private instruction, she attended classes at the Chester Springs Summer School, further refining her skills through structured academic study.

Artistic Activity in Washington, D.C.

By 1890, Chase had established her presence in Washington, D.C., a city that would host the majority of her professional life. Her involvement in the local art scene was not merely passive; she was a central figure in the institutional structures of the capital. As a charter member of the Arts Club of Washington, she helped anchor the city's creative community. Her presence was felt across multiple specialized circles, including the Washington Water Color Club, the Society of Washington Artists, and the American Watercolor Society. She also maintained active membership in the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors.

Chase navigated a landscape that was often restrictive for women, yet she secured a place in spaces typically reserved for men. She was among a small number of women permitted to exhibit with the Landscape Club of Washington. This level of institutional access speaks to her standing within the regional art hierarchy. Her work was not confined to private studios; it was part of the public discourse of the District, documented through her participation in the Greater Washington Independent Exhibition of 1935.

Exhibitions and Professional Recognition

Chase’s presence in the American exhibition circuit was marked by consistent participation in major institutional venues. She exhibited her work at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Witte Museum. These appearances were not merely local affairs; they placed her work within the broader professional landscape of the early twentieth century. Her involvement in the Greater Washington Independent Exhibition of 1935 further demonstrates her continued engagement with the regional art scene during a transformative period in American history.

Her professional standing was validated by specific accolades and leadership roles within the organizations that defined the Washington art community. In 1917, she was awarded a medal by the Washington Water Color Club. Her influence within this group extended beyond mere membership; she served on its board and eventually held the position of president. This level of institutional responsibility indicates a high degree of respect among her peers. Additionally, she earned an honorable mention at the Women's National Exhibition in St. Louis, a recognition that solidified her reputation outside of the District.

Technique and Artistic Style

Chase’s technical focus remained anchored in the fluid, immediate qualities of watercolor. While she utilized gouache to achieve different levels of opacity, her primary medium allowed her to document the specific atmosphere of the Mid-Atlantic. She did not chase the grand or the monumental; instead, her hand was most effective when capturing the everyday. Her work finds its strength in the quiet, unadorned details of urban and suburban life, turning the mundane into something worth recording.

Her subject matter was deeply tied to the geography of the District of Columbia and its surroundings. She focused on the picturesque and the commonplace, finding visual interest in the lived-in corners of Georgetown and Alexandria. Rather than seeking dramatic vistas, she looked toward the street-level reality of the city. Her compositions often centered on the local: the specific architecture of a house on M Street, the activity of a market, or the stillness of a canal. This commitment to the local landscape provided a visual record of Washington, D.C., that is both specific and grounded.

Key Works and Museum Collections

Chase’s legacy is anchored in the institutional collections of Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian American Art Museum holds her watercolor Interior, a work dating from about 1933–1943. Beyond this single piece, the Library of Congress maintains a significant presence of her output, housing eleven works that consist primarily of drawings and watercolors.

Her visual record provides a specific, unvarnished documentation of the District's changing landscape and social fabric. She captured the everyday realities of the city through a focused lens, moving between urban streetscapes and quiet, domestic moments. Her ability to document these specific locales ensures her work remains a primary source for understanding the atmosphere of early 20th-century Washington.

• African American sitting in the doorway of a frame house in Washington DC (1910)
• C&O Canal, Georgetown DC (May 1916)
• Pennsylvania Avenue between 22 and 23rd Street Washington DC (1920)

Later Years and Death

The final chapter of Chase's life took her away from the established art circles of Washington, D.C. She eventually moved to Clearwater, Florida, to live with her daughter. This relocation marked the end of her long-standing presence in the capital's creative community. She died in Clearwater in 1948.

Her remains were interred at Arlington National Cemetery. She was buried next to her husband, Volney Ogle Chase. The grave marker at the cemetery lists her date of birth as 1864, a discrepancy from the 1868 date recorded elsewhere. This small historical inconsistency remains a permanent part of her physical record.