Study for Portrait of Edith Emerson Lecturing [at] Lake George

Here Oakley depicts Edith Emerson lecturing. A commanding presence, she turns her head as if to answer a question and is caught in the dramatic light of a projector. Emerson taught art history at the Agnes Irwin School, organized lecture evenings at Cogslea, and was a frequent speaker at Woodmere, where she served as director. She and Oakley used this image on their holiday card in 1935 with the caption “Hellenic Inspiration,” alluding apparently to Emerson’s subject and to Oakley’s portrayal of her almost as a classical goddess.   

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