Who was Georgia O'Keeffe's teacher at the Art Students League who awarded her a Lake George scholarship?

William Merritt Chase was Georgia O'Keeffe's teacher at the Art Students League and awarded her a Lake George scholarship.

O'Keeffe studied at the Art Students League in New York beginning in 1907. Chase was a prominent American painter and an influential teacher known for his instruction in observational painting. Under his guidance, O'Keeffe received a scholarship to attend the League's summer school at Lake George, New York.

Her studies with Chase belong to the academic phase of her training. She learned from direct observation and worked within established approaches to painting, especially still life and landscape. Later, the teaching of Arthur Wesley Dow at the University of Virginia became more transformative, encouraging her to think about composition, line, and personal expression.

Chase is sometimes confused with Dow because both influenced O'Keeffe at different stages. Chase taught her in New York, while Dow's ideas helped her move away from strict realism. The distinction matters because O'Keeffe's mature style emerged through a gradual shift from academic exercises toward abstraction.