An Old Cherry Tree

Lilian Wescott Hale was born in Hartford, Connecticut and studied at the Hartford Art School before continuing her studies with William Merritt Chase in Shinnecock, New York and later at the Boston Museum School with Edmund Tarbell and Philip Leslie Hale, whom she would marry in 1902. Known primarily for her sensitive indoor portraits, she would occasionally paint pure landscapes, imbuing them with the same sensitivity and impressionistic touch. Hale was an avid gardener and "An Old Cherry Tree" likely depicts the yard of her Dedham, Massachusetts home.