Peachshed Inman, South Carolina

At a time when few women were able to navigate the social and professional barriers to pursue formal training in the arts, the ever adventurous Margaret Law managed to do just that. The Spartanburg, South Carolina, native studied in the Paris atelier of Cubist André Lhote and with Charles Hawthorne in Massachusetts. But the instruction that would most profoundly influence her artistic development was her classes with renowned Impressionist William Merritt Chase and with Ashcan School leader Robert Henri in New York. As popular educators, Chase and Henri encouraged their female students to seek educational and exhibition opportunities on par with their male counterparts. From Chase, Law learned about the expressive use of line and vibrant colors, while Henri urged her to turn away from academic subject matter and instead seek inspiration from everyday life, as Law did here, recording the thriving peach industry of her home state.