iwrmitg 
 
 1 87 . 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 WILLIAM OILMAN THOMPSON. 
 
WOMEN ARTISTS 
 
 IN ALL AGES AND COUNTRIES. 
 
 BY MRS. ELLET, 
 
 AUTHOE OP "THE WOMEN OF THE AMERICAN EEVOLtTTION," ETO. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 
 
 FBANKHN 8QTTABE. 
 1859. 
 

 
 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand 
 eight hundred and fifty-nine, by 
 
 HARPER & BROTHERS, 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District 
 of New York. 
 
TO 
 
 MRS. COVENTRY WADDELL, 
 
 WHOSE ELEGANT TASTE AND APPRECIATION OF ART, AND 
 
 WHOSE LIBERAL KINDNESS TO ARTISTS, HAVE 
 
 FOSTERED AMERICAN GENIUS, 
 
 ftolnme is 
 
 BY HER FRIEND 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 I DO not know that any work on Female Artists 
 either grouping them or giving a general history of 
 their productions has ever been published, except 
 the little volume issued in Berlin by Ernst Guhl, en- 
 titled " Die Frauen in die Kunstgeschichte." In that 
 work the survey is closed with the eighteenth centu- 
 ry, and female poets are included with painters, sculp- 
 tors, and engravers in the category of artists. Find- 
 ing Professor Guhl's sketches of the condition of art 
 in successive ages entirely correct, I have made use of 
 these and the facts he has collected, adding details 
 omitted by him, especially in the personal history of 
 prominent women devoted to the brush and the chisel. 
 Authorities, too numerous to mention, in French, Ital- 
 ian, German, and English, have been carefully con- 
 sulted. I am indebted particularly to the works of 
 Yasari, Descampes, and Fiorillo. The biographies of 
 Mdlles. Bonheur, Fauveau, and Hosmer are taken, 
 with a little condensing and shaping, from late num- 
 bers of that excellent periodical, "The Englishwom- 
 an's Journal." The sketches of many living artists 
 were prepared from materials furnished by themselves 
 or their friends. 
 
VI PEEFACE. 
 
 It is manifestly impossible, in a work of this land, 
 to include even the names of all the women artists 
 who are worthy of remembrance. Among those of 
 the present day are many who have not yet had suffi- 
 cient experience to do justice to their own powers, and 
 any criticism of their productions would be premature 
 and unfair. 
 
 No attempt has been made in the following pages 
 to give elaborate critiques or a connected history of 
 art. The aim has been simply to show what woman 
 has done, with the general conditions favorable or un- 
 favorable to her efforts, and to give such impressions 
 of the character of each prominent artist as may be 
 derived from a faithful record of her personal experi- 
 ences. More may be learned by a view of the early 
 struggles and trials, the persevering industry and the 
 well-earned triumphs of the gifted, than by the most 
 erudite or fine-spun disquisition. Should the perusal 
 of my book inspire with courage and resolution any 
 woman who aspires to overcome difficulties in the 
 achievement of honorable independence, or should it 
 lead to a higher general respect for the powers of 
 women and their destined position in the realm of 
 Art, my object will be accomplished. E. F. E. 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE EARLY AGES. 
 
 Women in Art. Kind of Painting most practiced by them. Femi- 
 nine Employments in early Ages. The fair Egyptians. Women 
 of Assyria and Babylon. Grecian Women. Sculpture and Paint- 
 ing in Greece. The Daughter of Dibutades. The Lover's Profile. 
 The first Bas-relief. Timarata. Helena. Anaxandra. Kallo. 
 Cirene. Calypso. Other Pupils of Grecian Art. The Roman 
 Women. The Paintress Laya. Lala. Influence of Christianity 
 on Art. Adornment rejected by the early Christians. Art de- 
 graded for Centuries. Female Influence among the Nations that 
 rose on the Ruins of Rome. Wise and clever Princesses. Anna 
 Comnena, The first Poetess of Germany. The first Editress of a 
 Cyclopaedia. The Art of Illuminating. Nuns employed in copy- 
 ing and painting Manuscripts. Agnes, Abbess of Quedlinburg. 
 Princesses at work. Convent Sisters copying and embellishing re- 
 ligious Works. The Nuns' Printing-press. The first Sculptress, 
 Sabina von Steinbach. Her Works in the Cathedral of Strasburg. 
 Elements that pervade the Sculpture of the Middle Ages. Paint- 
 ing of the Archbishop crowning Sabina Page 21 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Commencement of the History of modern Art. Causes of the Barren- 
 ness of this Century in female Artists. The Decline of Chivalry 
 unfavorable to their mental Development. Passing away of the 
 Ideal and Supernatural Element in Art. New Feeling for Na- 
 ture. New Life and Action in Painting. Portrayal of Feelings 
 of the Heart. Release of Painting from her Trammels. Severer 
 Studies necessary for Artists. Woman excluded from the Pur- 
 suit. Patronage sought. One female Artist representing each 
 prominent School. Margaretta von Eyck. Her Miniatures. Ex- 
 tensive Fame. Her Decoration of Manuscripts. Work in Aid of 
 her Brothers. "The gifted Minerva." Single Blessedness. 
 
Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 Another Margaretta. Copies and illuminates MSS. in the Car- 
 thusian Convent. Eight folio Volumes filled. Caterina Vigri. 
 Her Miniature Paintings. Founds a Convent. "The Saint of 
 Bologna." Miraculous Painting. The warrior Maiden Onorata. 
 Decorates the Palace at Cremona. Insult offered her. She 
 kills the Insulter. Flight in male Attire. Soldier Life. Delivers 
 Castelleone. The mortal Wound Page 32 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 This Century rich in great Painters. Not poor in female Artists. 
 Memorable Period both in Poetry and Painting. Fruits of the La- 
 bor of preceding Century now discernible. Female Disciples in all 
 the Schools of Italian Art. Superiority of the Bolognese School. 
 Properzia Eossi. Her Beauty and finished Education. Caning 
 on Peach-stones. Her Sculptures. The famous Bas-relief of Poti- 
 phar's Wife. Properzia's unhappy Love. Slander and Persecu- 
 tion. Her Works and Fame. Visit of the Pope. Properzia's 
 Death. Traditional Story. Isabella Mazzoni a Sculptor.^A fe- 
 male Fresco Painter. Sister Plautilla. Her Works for her Convent 
 Church. Other Works. Women Painters of the Roman School. 
 Teodora Danti. Female Engravers. Diana Ghisi. Irene di Spi- 
 limberg. Her Education in Venice. Titian's Portrait of her. 
 Tasso's Sonnet in her Praise. Poetical Tributes on her Death. 
 Her Works and Merits. Vincenza Armani. Marietta Tintoretto. 
 Her Beauty and musical Accomplishments. Excursions in Boy's 
 Attire with her Father. Her Portraits. They become " the Rage." 
 Imitation from the Emperor. From Philip of Spain. The Fa- 
 ther's Refusal. Her Marriage and Death. Portrait of her. Wom- 
 en Artists of Northern Italy. Barbara Longhi and others. The 
 Nuns of Genoa 38 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 The six wonderful Sisters. Sofonisba Anguisciola. Her early 
 Sketches. Painting of three Sisters. Her Success in Milan. 
 Invitation to the Court of Madrid. Pomp of her Journey and 
 Reception. The Diamond. Paints the Royal Family and the 
 Flower of the Nobility. Her Present to Pope Pius. His Letter. 
 Her Style. Lucia's Picture. Sofonisba Governess to the Infanta. 
 Marriage to the Lord of Sicily. His Death at Palermo. The 
 Widow's Voyage. The gallant Captain. Second Love and Mar- 
 
CONTENTS. ix 
 
 riage. Her Residence at Genoa. Royal Visitors. Loss of Sight. 
 Vandyck her Guest. Her Influence on Art in Genoa. Her 
 Portrait and Works. Sofonisba Gentilesca. Her Miniatures of 
 the Spanish Royal Family. Caterina Cantoni. Ludovica Pelle- 
 grini. Angela Criscuolo. Cecilia Brusasorci. Caterina dei Paz- 
 zi. Her Style shows the Infusion of a new Element of religious 
 Enthusiasm into Art. Tradition of her painting with eyes closed. 
 Her Canonization. Women in France at this period. Isabella 
 Quatrepomme. Women in Spain. A female Doctor of Theology. 
 Change wrought by Protestantism in the Condition of Woman. 
 Its Influence on Art. An English Paintrcss. Lavinia Bcnic. 
 Catherine Schwartz in Germany. Eva von Iberg in Switzer- 
 land. Women Painters in the Netherlands. Female Talent in 
 Antwerp. Albert Durer's Mention of Susannah Gerard. Cath- 
 erine Hamsen. Anna Seghers. Clara de Keyzer. Licwina 
 Bcnnings' and Susannah Hurcmbout's Visits to England. The 
 Engraver Barbara. The Dutch Engraver. Constantia, the Flow- 
 er Painter Page 48 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 New Ground presented for Progress. Greater Diversity of Style. 
 Naturalism. The Caracci instrumental in giving to Painting the 
 Impetus of Reform. Their Academy. One opened by a Milanese 
 Lady. The learned Poetess and her hundredth Birthday. Female 
 Painters and E/igravers. Lavinia Fontana. The hasty Judg- 
 ment. Lavinia a Pupil of Caracci. Character of her Pictures. 
 Honors paid to her. Courted by Royalty. Her Beauty and Suit- 
 ors. A romantic Lover. Lavinia's Paintings. Close of the Pe- 
 riod of the Christian Ideal in Art. Lavinia's Chef-d 1 CEuvre. Her 
 Children. Professional Honors. Her Death. Female Disciples of 
 the Caracci School. Pupils of Domenichino, Lanfranco, and Guido 
 Reni. The churlish Guercino a Despiser of Women. The Cardi- 
 nal's Niece and Heiress. Her great Paintings. Founds a Cloister. 
 Artemisia Gentileschi, a Pupil of Guido. Her Portraits. Visit 
 to England. Favor with Charles I. Luxurious Abode in Naples. 
 Her Correspondence. Judgment of her Pictures. Elisabetta Si- 
 rani. Her artistic Character. Her household Life. Industry and 
 Modesty. Her Virtues and Graces. Envious Artists. Defeat of 
 Calumny. Her mysterious Fate. Conjectures respecting it. Fu- 
 neral Obsequies. Her principal Works. Her Influence on female 
 Artists. Her Pupils. Other Women Artists of Bologna 59 
 
 A2 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTUBY. 
 
 School of the Academicians after Caravaggio. Unidealized Nature. 
 Rude and violent Passions delineated. Dark and stormy Side of 
 Humanity. Dark Coloring and Shadows. The gloomy and pas- 
 sionate expressed in Pictures appeared in the Lives of Artists. The 
 
 Dagger and Poison-cup common. Amelia di Rosa. The Pupil of 
 Stanzioni. Character of her Painting. Romantic Love and Mar- 
 riage. The happy Home destroyed. The hearth-stone Serpent. 
 Jealousy. The pretended Proof. Phrensy and Murder. Other 
 fair Neapolitans. The Paintress of Messina. The Schools of Bo- 
 logna and Naples embrace the most prominent Italian Paintings. 
 
 Commencement of Crayon-drawing. Tuscan Ladies of Rank cul- 
 tivating Art. The Rosalba of the Florentine School. Art in the 
 City of the Cassars. The Roman Flower-painter. Engravers. 
 Medallion-cutters. A female Architect. A Roman Sculptress. 
 Women Artists of the Venetian School. At Pavia. The Paint- 
 er's four Daughters. Chiara Varotari. Shares her Brother's La- 
 bors. A skillful Nurse. Her Pupils. Other female Artists of 
 this time. The Schools of Northern Italy. Their Paintresses. 
 Giovanna Fratellini Page 74 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Contrast between the Academicians and Naturalists, and between the 
 French and Spanish Schools of Painting. Peculiarities of each. 
 Ladies of Rank in Madrid Pupils of Velasquez. Instruction of 
 the royal Children in Art. The Engraver of Madrid. Every City 
 in the South of Spain boasts a female Artist. Isabella Coello. 
 Others in Granada. In Cordova. The Sculptress of Seville. 
 Luisa Roldan; her Carvings in Wood. The Canons "sold." 
 Invitation to Madrid. Sculptress to the King. Other Women 
 Artists in Spain. In France Woman's Position more prominent 
 than in preceding Age. Corruption of court Manners. Unwor- 
 thy Women in Power. Women in every Department of Litera- 
 ture. Mademoiselle de Scudery. Madame de la Fayette. 
 Madame Dacier. Women in theological Pursuits. Their As- 
 cendency in Art not so great. Miniature and Flower Painters. 
 Engravers. Elizabeth Sophie Cheron. A Leader in Enamel- 
 painting. Her Portraits and History-pieces. Her Merits and 
 Success. Her Translations of the Psalms. Musical and Poetical 
 
CONTENTS. XI 
 
 Talents. Honors lavished on her. Love and Marriage at three- 
 score. Her Generosity to the needy. Verses in her Praise. 
 Historical Tableaux. Madelaine Masson. The Marchioness de 
 Pompadour Page 85 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Two different Systems of Painting in the North. The Flemish School 
 represented by Kubens. The Dutch by Rembrandt. Characteris- 
 tics of Rubens' Style. No female Disciples. Unsuited to femi- 
 nine Study. Some Women Artists of the first Part of the Cen- 
 tury. Features of the Dutch School. A wide Field for female 
 Energy and Industry. Painting de genre. Its Peculiarities. 
 State of Things favorable to female Enterprise. Early Efforts in 
 Genre-painting. Few Women among Rembrandt's immediate 
 Disciples. Genre-painting becomes adapted to female Talent. 
 "The Dutch Muses." Another Woman Architect. Dutch Wom- 
 en Painters and Engravers. Maria Schalken and others. "Tho 
 second Schurmann." Margaretta Godewyck. The Painter-poet. 
 Anna Maria Schurmann. Wonderful Genius for Languages. 
 Early Acquirements. Her Scholarship and Position among the 
 learned. A Painter, Sculptor, and Engraver. Called "the Won- 
 der of Creation. " Royal and princely Visitors. Journey to Ger- 
 many. Embraces the religious Tenets of Labadic. His Doctrines. 
 Joins his Band. Collects his Followers, and leads them into 
 Friesland. Poverty and Death. Visit of William Penn to her. 
 Her Portrait. Her female Contemporaries in Art. Flower- 
 painting in the Netherlands. Its Pioneers. Maria Van Ooster- 
 wyck. Her Birth and Education. Early Productions. Cele- 
 brated at foreign Courts. Presents from imperial Friends. Enor- 
 mous Prices for her Pictures. Royal Purchasers. The quiet Art- 
 ist at work. The Lover's Visit. The Lover's Trial and Failure. 
 Style of her Painting. Rachel Ruysch. The greatest Flower- 
 painter. Early Instruction. Spread of her Fame. Domestic 
 Cares. Professional Honors. Invitations to Courts. Her Pa- 
 tron, the Elector. Her Works in old Age. Her Character. 
 Rarity of her Paintings. Personal Appearance 94 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTUBY. 
 
 Unfavorable Circumstances for Painting in Germany. Effects of the 
 Thirty Years' War. The national Love of Art shown by the Signs 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 of Life manifested. Influence of the Reformation. Inferiority of 
 German Art in this Century. Ladies of Rank in Literature. A 
 female Astronomer. The Fame of Schurmann awakens Emula- 
 tion. Distinguished Women. Commencement of poetic Orders. 
 Zesen, the Patron of the Sex. Women who cultivated Art. 
 Paintresses of Nuremberg. Barbara Helena Lange. Flower- 
 painters and Engravers. Modeling in Wax. Women Artists in 
 Augsburg. In Munich. In Hamburg. The Princess Hollandina. 
 Her Paintings. Maria Sibylla Merian. Early Fondness for 
 Insects. Maternal Opposition. Her Marriage. Publication of 
 her first Work. Joins the Labadists. Returns to the Butter- 
 flies. Curiosity to see American Insects. Voyage to Surinam. 
 Story of the Lantern-flies. Return to Holland. Her Works pub- 
 lished. Republication in Paris afterward. Her Daughters. 
 Her personal Appearance. The Danish Women Artists. Anna 
 Crabbe. King's Daughters. The Taste in Art in Denmark and 
 England governed by that of foreign Nations. Female Artists in 
 England. The Poetesses most prominent. Miniaturists. Por- 
 trait-painters. Etchers. Lady Connoisseurs. The Dwarf's 
 Daughter. Anna Carlisle. Mary Beale. Pupil of Sir Peter 
 Lely. Character of her Works. Rumor of Lely's Attachment to 
 her. Poems in her Praise. Mr. Beale's Note-books. Anne Kil- 
 legrew. Her Portraits of the Royal Family. History and still-life 
 Pieces. Her Portrait by Lely. Her Character. Dry den's Odo 
 to her Memory. Her Poems published. Mademoiselle Rose'e. 
 The Artist in Silk. Wonderful Effects. Her Works Curiosities. 
 The Artist of the Scissors. Her singular imitative Powers. A 
 Copyist of old Paintings. Her Cuttings. Views of all kinds done 
 with the Scissors. Royal and imperial Visitors. Her Trophy for 
 the Emperor Leopold. Poems in her Praise. The Swiss Paintrcss 
 Anna Wasser. Her Education and Works. Commissions from 
 Courts. Her Father's Avarice. Sojourn at a Court. Return 
 home. Fatal Accident. Her literary Accomplishments. . Page 110 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 General Expansion and Extension of Art-culture. More Scope given 
 to the Tendencies originated in preceding Age. Reminiscences of 
 past Glories of Art active during the first half of the Century. 
 The Flemish and Italian Schools in vogue. Eclecticism. In- 
 fluences of the French School mingled with those of the great Mas- 
 ters. The Rococo Style. The Aggregate of Woman's Labor great- 
 
CONTENTS. XI 11 
 
 er than ever before. Not accompanied by greater Depth. Less 
 Individuality discernible. The greatest artistic Activity among 
 Women in Germany. In France next. In Italy next. In other 
 Countries less. Rapid Growth of Art in Berlin. In Dresden. 
 Scholarship and literary Position of Women during the first half 
 of the Century. Poets and their Inspirations. Princesses the Pa- 
 trons of Letters. Nothing new or striking in Art. A Revolution 
 in the latter half of the Century. Instruction in Art a Branch of 
 Education. Dilettanti of high Rank. Female Pupils of Painters 
 of Note. Mengs and Carstens. Carstens the Founder of modern 
 German Art. His Style not adapted to female Talent. A lovely 
 Form standing between him and Mengs. A female Stamp-cutter. 
 An Artist in Wax-work. In Stucco-work. In cutting precious 
 Stones. Barbara Preisler. Other female Artists. Fashionable 
 Taste in Painting. Marianna Hayd. Miniaturists. Anna Maria 
 Mengs. Her Works. Miniature and Pastel-painting. Flowers 
 and Landscapes a Passion. Imitators of Rachel Ruysch and Mad- 
 ame Merian. Celebrities in Flower-painting. Copper-engraving. 
 Lady Artists of high Rank. Other Devotees to Art Page 132 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Angelica Kauffman. Parentage and Birth. Beautiful Scenery of 
 her native Land. Early Impulse to Painting. Adopts the Style 
 of Mengs. Her Residence in Como. Instruction. Music or 
 Painting ? Beauty of Nature around her. Angelica's Letter 
 about Como. Escape from Cupid. Removal to Milan. Intro- 
 duction to great Works of Art. Studies of the Lombard Masters. 
 The Duke of Modena her Patron. Portrait of the Duchess of 
 Carrara. Success. Return to Schwarzenberg. Painting in Fres- 
 co. Homely Life of the Artist. Milan and Florence. Rome. 
 Acquaintance with Winkelmann. Angelica paints his Portrait. 
 Goes to Naples. Studies in Rome. In Venice. Acquaintance 
 with noble English Families. In London. A brilliant Career. 
 Fuseli's Attachment to her. Appointed Professor in the Academy 
 of Arts. Romantic Incident of her Travel in Switzerland. The 
 weary Travelers. The libertine Lord. The Maiden's Indigna- 
 tion. Unexpected Meeting in the aristocratic Circles of London. 
 The Lord's Suit renewed. Rejected with Scorn. His Rank 
 and Title spurned. Revenge. The Impostor in Society. Ange- 
 lica deceived into Marriage. She informs the Queen. Her Fa- 
 ther's Suspicions. Discovery of the Cheat. The Wife's Despair. 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 The false Marriage annulled. The Queen's Sympathy. Sto- 
 ries of Angelica's Coquetry. Marriage with Zucchi. Return to 
 Italy. Her Father's Death. Residence in Rome. Circle of lit- 
 erary Celebrities. Angelica's Works. Criticisms. Opinions of 
 Mengs and Fuseli. The Portraits in the Pitti Gallery. Death of 
 Zucchi. Invasion of Italy. Angelica's Melancholy. Journey 
 and Return. Her Death and Funeral Page 144 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Female Artists in the Scandinavian Countries. In Sweden. Ulrica 
 Pasch. Danish Women Artists. A richer Harvest in the Nether- 
 lands. The Belgian Sculptress. Maria Verelst. Her Paintings 
 and Attainments in the Languages. Residence in London. 
 Curious Anecdote. Walpole's Remark. Women Artists in Hol- 
 land. Poetry. Henrietta Wolters. Her Portraits. Invitation 
 from Peter the Great. Dutch Paintrcsses. The young Engraver. 
 Caroline Scheffer. Landscape and Flower Painters. A Fol- 
 lower of Rachel Ruysch. An Engraver. In England. Painting 
 suited to Women. Literary Ladies. Effect of the Introduction 
 of a new Manner in Art. Numerous Dilettanti. Female Sculp- 
 tors. Mrs. Samon. Mrs. Siddons and others. Mrs. Darner. 
 Aristocratic Birth. Early love of Study and Art. Horace Wai- 
 pole her Adviser. Conversation with Hume. First Attempt at 
 Modeling. The Marble Bust and Hume's Criticism. Surprise 
 of the gay World. Miss Conway's Lessons and Works. Unfor- 
 tunate Marriage. Widowhood. Politics. Walpole's Opinion of 
 Mrs. Darner's Sculptures. Darwin's Lines. Sculptures. Envy 
 and Detraction. Going abroad. Escape from Danger. Noble 
 Ambition. Return to England. Politics and Kissing. Private 
 Theatricals. The three Heroes. Friendship with the Empress. 
 Walpole's Bequest. Parlor Theatricals, etc. Removal. Proj- 
 ect for improving India. Mrs. Darner's Works. Opinions of 
 her 1G4 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Mary Moser. Nollekens' House. Skill in Flower-painting. The 
 Fashions. Queen Charlotte. Patience Wright. Birth in New 
 Jersey. Quaker Parents. Childish Taste for Modeling. Mar- 
 riage. Widowhood. Wax - modeling. Rivals Madame Tus- 
 saud. Residence in England. Sympathy with America in Re- 
 
CONTENTS. XV 
 
 bcllion. Correspondence with Franklin. Intelligence conveyed. 
 Freedom of Speech to Majesty. Franklin's Postscript. "The 
 Promethean Modeler." Letter to Jefferson. Patriotism. Art 
 the Fashion. Aristocratic lady Artists. Princesses Painting. 
 Lady Beauclerk. Walpole's "Beauclerk Closet." Designs and 
 Portrait. Lady Lucan. Her Illustrations of Shakspeare. Wai- 
 pole's Criticism. Other Works. Mary Benvvell and others. 
 Anna Smyters and others. Madame Prestel. Mrs. Grace. Mrs. 
 Wright. Flower-painters. Catherine Read and others. Maria 
 Cosway. Peril in Infancy. Lessons. Resolution to take the 
 Veil. Visit to London. Marriage. Cosway's Painting. Vanity 
 and Extravagance. The beautiful Italian Paintress. Cosway's 
 Prudence and Management. Brilliant evening Receptions. 
 Aristocratic Friends. The Epigram on the Gate. Splendid new 
 House and Furniture. Failing Health. France and Italy. In- 
 stitution at Lodi. Singnlar Occurrence. Death of Cosway. 
 Return to Lodi. Maria's Style and Works Page 181 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Close of the golden Age of Art in France. Corruption of Manners. 
 Influence of female Genius. Reign of Louis XVI. Female 
 Energy in the Revolution. Charlotte Corday. Greater Number 
 of female Artists in Germany. Reasons why. French Women 
 devoted to Engraving. Stamp-cutters. A Sculptress enamored. 
 A few Paintresscs. The Number increasing. Influence of the 
 great French Masters. Sevres-painting. Genre-painting. Dis- 
 ciples of Grcuze. Portrait-painting in vogue. Caroline Sattlcr. 
 Flower-painters, etc. Engravers. Two eminent Paintresses. 
 Adelaide Vincent. Marriage. Portraits and other Works. The 
 Revolution. Elizabeth Le Bran. Talent for Painting. Her Fa- 
 ther's Delight. Instruction. Friendship with Vernet. Poverty 
 and Labor. Avaricious Step-father. Her Earnings squandered. 
 Success and Temptation. Acquaintance with Le Brun. Ma- 
 ternal Counsels to Marriage. Secret Marriage. Warnings too 
 late. The Mask falls. Luxury for the Husband, Labor and Pri- 
 vation for the Wife. Success and Scandal. French Society. 
 Friendship with Marie Antoinette. La Harpe's Poem. Evening 
 Receptions. Splendid Entertainments. Scarcity of Seats. Petits 
 Soupers. The Grecian Banquet. Reports concerning it. De- 
 parture from France. Triumphal Progress. Reception in Bologna. 
 In Rome. In Naples. In Florence. Madame Le Bran's Por- 
 
XVI CONTENTS. 
 
 trait. Goethe's Remarks. New Honors. Reception at Vienna. 
 An old Friend in Berlin. Residence in Russia. Return to 
 France. Loyalty. Her Pictures. Death of her Husband and 
 Daughter. Advanced Age. Autobiography. An emblematic 
 Life " Page 190 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Women Artists in Spain. Their Participation a Test of general 
 Interest. Female Representatives of the most important Schools. 
 That of Seville. Of Madrid. The Paintress of Don Quixote. 
 Ladies of Rank Members of the Academy. Maria Tibaldi. 
 Two female Artists besides two Poetesses in Portugal. The Har- 
 vest greater in Italy. Few attained to Eminence. Learned La- 
 dies. Female Doctors and Professors. Degrees in Jurisprudence 
 and Philosophy conferred on them. Examples. The Scholar 
 nine Years old. A lady Professor of Mathematics. Women Lec- 
 turers. Comparison with English Ladies. Brilliant Devotees of 
 the Lyre. Female Talent in the important Schools of Art. 
 Women Artists in Florence. Engravers and Paintresses. In 
 Naples. Kitchen-pieces. In the Cities of northern Italy. In Bo- 
 logna. Princesses. In Venice. Rosalba Camera. Her child- 
 ish Work. Her Genius perceived. Instruction. Takes to Pas- 
 tel-painting. Merits of her Works. Celebrity. Invitations to 
 Paris and Vienna. Visit from the King of Denmark. Invited 
 by the Emperor and the King of France. Portrait for the Grand 
 Duke of Tuscany. The King of Poland her Patron. Unspoiled 
 by Honors. Her moral Worth. Residence in Paris. Her Pic- 
 tures. The Lady disguised as a Maid-servant. Want of Beauty. 
 Anecdote of the Emperor. Rosalba's Journal. Visit to Vien- 
 na. Presentiment of Calamity. The Portrait wreathed with 
 gloomy Leaves. Blindness. Loss of Reason. Death and Burial. 
 Her Portrait. Other Venetian Women 221 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 -b More vigorous Growth of the Branches selected for female Enterprise. 
 Progress accelerated toward the Close of last Century. Still 
 more remarkable within the last fifty Years. Great Number of 
 Women active in Art. Better intellectual Cultivation and grow- 
 ing Taste. Increased Freedom of Woman. Present Prospect fair. 
 Growing Sense of the Importance of Female Education. Worn- 
 
CONTENTS. XV11 
 
 en earning an Independence. The Stream shallows as it widens. 
 
 Few Instances of pre-eminent Ability. Fuller Scope of the In- 
 fluence of the French Masters in the nineteenth Century. David, 
 the Republican Painter. His female Pupils. Angelique Mongez. 
 Madame Davin and others. Disciples of Greuze. Female 
 Scholars of Regnault. Pupils of the Disciples of David. Pupils 
 of Fleury and Cogniet. Madame Chaudet. Kinds of Painting in 
 Vogue. The Princess Marie d'Orleans. Her Statue of the Maid 
 of Orleans. Her last Work. Promise of Greatness. Sculpture 
 by Madame de Lamartine. "Paris is France." Painting on 
 Porcelain. Madame Jacotot and others. Condition of Art in 
 Germany. Carstens. Women Artists. Maria Ellenrieder. 
 Louise Seidler. Baroness von Freiberg. Madame von Schroeter. 
 Female Artists of the Dusseldorf School. The greatest Number 
 in Berlin. Rich Bloom of Female Talent in Vienna and Dresden. 
 Changes in Italy. Prospect not fair in Spain and Scandinavia. 
 
 In England, Sculpture and Painting successfully cultivated. 
 Fanny Corbeaux. Superior in Biblical Scholarship. The Nether- 
 lands in this Century. Encouragement for Women to persevere. 
 Dr. Guhl's Opinion. History the Teacher of the Present.. Page 233 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Felicie de Fauveau. Parentage. Her Mother a Legitimist. The 
 Daughter's Inheritance of Loyalty. Removals. Felicie's Studies. 
 Learns to Model. Resolves to be a Sculptor. Labor becoming 
 to a Gentlewoman. Her first Works. Early Triumphs. Social 
 Circle in Paris. Evening Employments. Revival of a peculiar 
 Taste. Mediaeval Fashions. The bronze Lamp. Equestrian 
 Sketch. Effect of the Revolution of 1830. The two Felicies leave 
 Paris. A rural Conspiracy. A domiciliary Visit. Escape of the 
 Ladies. Discovery and Capture. The Stratagem at the Inn. 
 Escape of Madame in Disguise. Imprisonment of Mademoiselle. 
 Works in Prison. Return to Paris. Politics again. Felicie 
 banished. Breaks up her Studio. Poverty and Privation. Resi- 
 dence in Florence. Brighter Days. Character of Felicie. Per- 
 sonal Appearance. Her Dwelling and Studio. Her Works. 
 The casting of a bronze Statue. Industry and Retirement. "A 
 good Woman and a great Artist." ROSA BONHEUR. Her Birth in 
 Bordeaux. Her Father. Rosa a Dunce in Childhood. Her Par- 
 rot. Rambles. The Spanish Poet. Removal to Paris. Revolu- 
 tion and Misfortune. Death of Madame Bonheur. The Children 
 
XV111 CONTENTS. 
 
 at School. Rosa detests Books and loves Eoaming. Remarriage 
 of Bonheur. Rosa a Seamstress. Hates the Occupation. Prefers 
 turning the Lathe. Her Unhappiness. Placed at a Boarding- 
 school. Her Pranks and Caricatures. Abhorrence of Study. 
 Mortification at her Want of fine Clothes. Resolves to achieve a 
 Name and a Place in the World. Discontent and Gloom. Re- 
 turn home. Left to herself. Works in the Studio. Her Voca- 
 tion apparent. Studies at the Louvre. Her Ardor and Applica- 
 tion. The Englishman's Prophecy. Rosa vowed to Art. De- 
 voted to the Study of Animals. Excursions in the Country in 
 search of Models. Visits the Abattoirs. Study of various Types. 
 Visits the Museums and Stables. Resorts to the horse and cat- 
 tle Fairs in male Attire. Curious Adventures. Anatomical Stud- 
 ies. Advantages of her Excursions. Her Father her only Teach- 
 er. The Family of Artists. Rosa's pet Birds and Sheep. Her 
 first Appearance. Rising Reputation. Takes the gold Medal. 
 Proclaimed the new Laurcat. Death of her Father. Rosa Di- 
 rectress of the School of Design. Her Sister a Professor. "The 
 Horse-market." Rosa's Paintings. Bestows her Fortune on others. 
 Her Farm. Drawings presented to Charities. Demand for her 
 Paintings. Her Right to the Cross of the Legion of Honor. The 
 Emperor's Refusal to grant it to a Woman. Description of her 
 Residence and her Studio. Rosa found asleep. Her personal 
 Appearance. Dress. Her Character. Her Industry. Mademoi- 
 selle Micas. Mountain Rambles. Rosa's Visit to Scotland. Her 
 Life in the Mountains. At the Spanish Posada. Threatened 
 Starvation. Cooking Frogs. The Muleteers. Rosa's Scotch 
 Terrier. Her Resolution never to many Page 246 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 The Practice of Art in America. Number of women Artists in- 
 creasing. Prospect flattering. Imperfection of Sketches of living 
 Artists. Rosalba Torrens. Miss Murray. Mrs. Lupton. Miss 
 Denning. Miss O'Hara. Mrs. Darley. Mrs. Goodrich. Miss 
 Foley. Miss Mackintosh and others. Mrs. Ball Hughes. Mrs. 
 Chapin. Sketch of Mrs. Duncan. The Peale Family. Anec- 
 dote of General Washington. Mrs. Washington's Punctuality. 
 Miss Peale an Artist in Philadelphia. Paints Miniatures. Copies 
 Pictures from great Artists. She and her Sister honorary Mem- 
 bers of the Academy. Her prosperous Career. Paints with her 
 Sister in Baltimore and Washington. Marriage and Widowhood. 
 
CONTENTS. XIX 
 
 Return to Philadelphia. Second Marriage. Happy Home. 
 Mrs. Yeates. Miss Sarah M. Peale. Success. Removal to St. 
 Louis. Miss Rosalba Peale. Miss Ann Leslie. Early Taste in 
 Painting. Visits to London. Copies Pictures. Miss Sarah Cole. 
 Mrs. Wilson. Intense Love of Art. Her Sculptures. Her 
 impromptu Modeling of Emerson's Head. Mrs. Cornelius Dubois. 
 
 Her Taste for the Sculptor's Art. Groups by her. Studies in 
 
 Italy. Her Cameos. Her Kindness to Artists. Miss Anne Hall. 
 
 Early Love of Painting. Lessons. Copies old Paintings in 
 
 Miniature. Her original Pictures. Her Merits of the highest Or- 
 der. Groups in Miniature. Dunlap's Praise. Her Productions 
 numerous. Mary S. Lcgare. Her Ancestry. Mrs. Legare'. 
 Early Fondness for Art shown by the Daughter. Her Studies. 
 Little Beauty in the Scenery familiar to her. Colonel Cogdcll's 
 Sympathy with her. Success in Copying. Visit to the Blue Ridge. 
 Grand Views. Paintings of mountain Scenery. Removal to 
 I owa . "Legare College." Her Erudition and Energy. Her Mar- 
 riage. Herminie Dassel. Reverse of Fortune. Painting for a 
 Living. Visit to Vienna and Italy. Removal to America. Suc- 
 cess .and Marriage. Her social Virtues and Charity. Miss Jane 
 Stuart. Mrs. Ilildreth. Mrs. Davis. Mrs. Badger's Book of Flow- 
 ers. Mrs. Hawthorne. Mrs. Hill. Mrs. Greatorex. Mrs. Wood- 
 man. Miss Gove. Miss May. Miss Granbury. Miss Oak- 
 ley Page 285 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 MRS. LILT SPENCER. Early Display of Talent. Removal to New 
 York. To Ohio. Out-door Life. Chase of a Deer. Encounter 
 with the Hog. Lifting a Log. Sketch on her bedroom Walls. 
 Encouragement. Curiosity to see her Pictures. Her Studies. 
 Removal to Cincinnati. Jealousy of Artists. Lord Morpeth. 
 Lily's Marriage. Return to New York. Studies. Her Paint- 
 ings. Kitchen Scenes. Success and Fame. Her Home and 
 Studio. Louisa Lander. Inheritance of Talent. Passion for 
 Art. Development of Taste for Sculpture. Abode in Rome. 
 Crawford's Pupil. Her Productions. "Virginia Dare." Other 
 Sculptures. Late Works. Mary Weston. Childish Love of 
 Beauty and Art. Devices to supply the Want of Facilities. Stud- 
 ies. Departure from Home. Is taken back. Perseverance amid 
 Difficulties. Journey to New York. Sees an Artist work. Finds 
 Friends. Visit to Hartford. Return to New York for Lessons. 
 
XX CONTENTS. 
 
 Marriage. Her Paintings. Miss Freeman. Variously gifted. 
 Miss Dupre'. The Misses Withers. Mrs. Cheves. Mrs. Han- 
 na Page 317 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 EMMA STEBBINS. Favorable Circumstances of her early Life to the 
 Study of Art. Specimens of her Skill shown in private Circles. 
 Receives Instruction from Henry Inman. Correctness of her Por- 
 traits. "A Book of Prayer." Revives Taste for Illuminations. 
 Her crayon Portraits. Copies of Paintings. Cultivates many 
 Branches of Art. Becomes a Sculptor. Abode in Rome. In- 
 struction received from Gibson and Akers. Late Work from her 
 Chisel. "The Miner." HARRIET HOSMER. Dwelling of the 
 Sculptor Gibson in Rome. His Studio and Work-room. "La 
 Signorina." The American Sculptress. Her Childhood. Phys- 
 ical Training. School-life. Anecdotes. Studies at Home. At 
 St. Louis. Her Independence. Trip on the Mississippi. "Hes- 
 per." Departure for Rome. Mr. Gibson's Decision. Extract 
 from Miss Hosmer's Letter. Original Designs. Reverse of For- 
 tune. Alarm. Resolution. Industry, Economy, and Success. 
 Late Works. Visit of the Prince of Wales 346 
 
WOMEN ARTISTS, 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE EAELY AGES. 
 
 Women in Art. Kind of Painting most practiced by them. Femi- 
 nine Employments in early Ages. The fair Egyptians. Women 
 of Assyria and Babylon. Grecian Women. Sculpture and Paint- 
 ing in Greece. The Daughter of Dibutades. The Lover's Profile. 
 The first Bas-relief. Timarata. Helena. Anaxandra. Kallo. 
 Cirene. Calypso. Other Pupils of Grecian Art. The Roman 
 Women. The Paintress Laya. Lala. Influence of Christianity 
 on Art. Adornment rejected by the early Christians. Art de- 
 graded for Centuries. Female Influence among the Nations that 
 rose on the Ruins of Rome. Wise and clever Princesses. Anna 
 Comnena. The first Poetess of Germany. The first Editress of a 
 Cyclopaedia. The Art of Illuminating. Nuns employed in copy- 
 ing and painting Manuscripts. Agnes, Abbess of Quedlinburg. 
 Princesses at work. Convent Sisters copying and embellishing re- 
 ligious Works. The Nuns' Printing-press. The first Sculptress, 
 Sabina von Steinbach. Her Works in the Cathedral of Strasburg. 
 Elements that pervade the Sculpture of the Middle Ages. Paint- 
 ing of the Archbishop crowning Sabina. 
 
 " MEN have not grudged to women," says a modern 
 writer, "the wreaths of literary fame. No history of 
 literature shows a period when their influence was not 
 apparent, when honors were not rendered to them ;" 
 and the social condition of woman has been general- 
 ly allowed to measure the degree of intellectual cul- 
 ture in a nation. Although in the realm of art her 
 success is more questionable, she may yet claim the 
 credit of having materially aided its progress. Worn- 
 
22 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 an is the type of the ornamental part of our life, and 
 lends to existence the charm which inspires the artist, 
 and furnishes him with an object for effort. Her na- 
 tive unconscious grace and beauty present the models 
 which it is his highest merit to copy faithfully. 
 
 A New England divine says, " Woman, like man, 
 wants to make her thought a thing." " All that be- 
 longs to the purely natural," observes Hippel, "lies 
 within her sphere.'* The kind of painting, thus, in 
 which the object is prominent has been most practiced 
 by female artists. Portraits, landscapes, flowers, and 
 pictures of animals are in favor among them. Histor- 
 ical or allegorical subjects they have comparatively 
 neglected; and, perhaps, a sufficient reason for this 
 has been that they could no*t command the years of 
 study necessary for the attainment of eminence in 
 these. More have been engaged in engraving on cop- 
 per than in any other branch of art, and many have 
 been miniature painters. 
 
 -7 Such occupations might be pursued in the strict se- 
 clusion of home, to which custom and public senti- 
 ment consigned the fair student. Nor were they in- 
 harmonious with the ties of friendship and love to 
 which her tender nature clung. In most instances 
 women have been led to the cultivation of art through 
 the choice of parents or brothers. While nothing has 
 been more common than to see young men embracing 
 the profession against the wishes of their families and 
 in the face of difficulties, the example of a woman thus 
 deciding for herself is extremely rare. 
 > We know little of the practice of the arts by women 
 in ancient times. The degraded condition of the sex 
 in Eastern countries rendered woman the mere slave 
 and toy of her master; but this very circumstance 
 
THE EAKLY AGES. 23 
 
 gave her artistic ideas capable of development into in- 
 dependent action. These first showed themselves in 
 the love of dress and the selection of ornaments. 
 From the early ages of the world, too, spinning and 
 weaving were feminine employments, in which undy- 
 ing germs of art were hidden ; for it belongs to human 
 nature never to be satisfied with what merely minis- 
 ters to necessity. The ancient sepulchres and buried 
 palaces disclosed by modern discovery display the 
 love of adornment prevailing among the nations of 
 antiquity. Women rendered assistance in works upon 
 wood and metal, as well as, more frequently, in the 
 productions of the loom. The fair Egyptians covered 
 their webs with the most delicate patterns ; and the 
 draperies of the dead and the ornamented hangings in 
 their dwellings ^attested the skill of the women of As- 
 syria and Babylon. 
 
 The shawls and carpets of Eastern manufacture, and 
 other articles of luxury that furnished the palaces of 
 European monarchs, were often the work of delicate 
 hands, though no tradition has preserved the names 
 of those who excelled in such labors. 
 
 Among the ancient Greeks the position of woman, 
 though still secluded and slavish, gave her a nobler 
 life. The presiding deities of the gentle arts were 
 represented to popular apprehension in female form, 
 and, doubtless, the gracious influence the sex has in 
 all ages exercised was then in some measure recog- 
 nized. Poetry had her fair votaries, and names are 
 still remembered that deserve to live with Sappho. 
 Schools of philosophy were presided over by the gift- 
 ed and cultivated among women. 
 
 Sculpture and architecture, the arts carried to great- 
 est perfection, were then far in advance of painting ; 
 
24 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 at least, we know of no relics that can support the 
 pretensions of the Greeks to superiority in the lat- 
 ter. " What is left," says a writer in the " Westmin- 
 ster Keview," "of Apelles and Zeuxis? The few 
 relics of ancient painting which have survived the 
 lapse of ages and the hand of the spoiler all date from 
 the time of the Eoman Empire ; and neither the fres- 
 coes discovered beneath the baths of Titus, the deco- 
 rations of Pompeii and Herculaneum, nor even the two 
 or three cabinet pictures found beneath the buried 
 city, can be admitted as fair specimens of Grecian 
 painting in its zenith." 
 
 THE DAUGHTER OF DIBUTADES. 
 
 But, though few Grecian women handled the pencil 
 or the chisel, and women were systematically held in 
 a degree of ignorance, we find here, on the threshold 
 of the history of art, a woman's name "that of Kora, 
 or, as she has been called, Callirhoe, the daughter of a 
 potter named Dibutades, a native of Corinth, said to 
 have resided at Sicyonia about the middle of the 
 seventh century before Christ. Pliny tells us she as- 
 sisted her father in modeling clay. The results of his 
 labor were arranged on shelves before his house, 
 which the purchasers usually left vacant before even- 
 ing. It was the office of his daughter, says a fanci- 
 ful chronicler, to fill the more elaborate vases with 
 choice flowers, which the young men came early to 
 look at, hoping to catch a glimpse of the graceful art- 
 ist maiden. 
 
 As she went draped in her veil to the market-place, 
 she often met a youth, who afterward became an as- 
 sistant to her father in his work. He was skilled in 
 much learning unknown to the secluded girl, and in 
 
KORA TIMAKATA. 25 
 
 playing on the reed; and the daily life of father, 
 daughter, and lover presented an illustration of Gre- 
 cian life and beauty. The youth was constrained at 
 length to depart, but ere he went the vows of betroth- 
 al were exchanged between him and Kora. 
 
 Their eve of parting was a sad one. As they sat 
 together by the lamplight the maiden suddenly rose, 
 and, taking up a piece of pointed charcoal from the 
 brasier, and bidding the young man remain still, she 
 traced on the wall the outline of his fine Grecian pro- 
 file, as a memorial when he should be far away. Di- 
 butades saw the sketch she had made, and recognized 
 the likeness. Carefully he filled the outline with clay, 
 and a complete medallion was formed. It was the 
 first portrait in relief! Thus a new art was born into 
 the world, the development of which brought fortune 
 and fame to the inventor ! The story is, at least, as 
 probable as that of Saurias discovering the rules of 
 sketching and contour from the shadow of his horse. 
 It was neither the first nor the last time that Love be- 
 came a teacher. Might not the fable of Memnon thus 
 find its realization ? 
 
 It is related that Dibutades, who had followed up 
 his medallions with busts, became so celebrated, that 
 many Grecian states claimed the honor of his birth; 
 and that his daughter's lover, who came back to es- 
 pouse her, modeled whole figures in Corinth. A 
 school for modeling was instituted about this time in 
 Sicyonia, of which Dibutades was the founder. 
 
 At a later period we hear of Timarata, the daughter 
 of a painter, and herself possessed of considerable skill, 
 as Pliny testifies, he having seen one of her pictures 
 at Ephesus, representing the goddess Diana. 
 
 Several names of female artists have come down 
 B 
 
26 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 from the time of Alexander the Great and his luxuri- 
 ous successors. Art began to have a richer and more 
 various development, and women were more free to 
 follow their inclinations in its pursuit. One belonging 
 to this age was Helena, who is said to have painted, 
 for one of the Ptolomies, the scene of a battle in which 
 Alexander vanquished Darius; a picture thought, 
 with some probability, to have been the original of a 
 famous mosaic found in Pompeii. 
 
 Anaxandra, the daughter and pupil of a Greek 
 painter, appears to have labored under the same royal 
 patronage, as well as another female artist named 
 Kallo, one of whose pictures, presented in the Temple 
 of Yenus, was celebrated by the praise of a classic 
 poetess ; the fair painter being declared as beautiful 
 as her own work. Among these pupils of Grecian 
 art we hear also of Cirene, the daughter of Kratinos, 
 whose painting of Proserpina was preserved ; of Aris- 
 tarite, the author of a picture of Esculapius ; of Ca- 
 lypso, known as a painter de genre. Her portraits of 
 Theodorus, the juggler, and a dancer named Acisthenes, 
 were celebrated, and she is said to have executed one 
 that has been transferred from the ruins of Pompeii to 
 Naples, and is now called " A Mother superintending 
 her Daughter's Toilet." The name of Olympias is 
 remembered, though we have no mention of her works. 
 Beyond these few names, we know nothing of the fe- 
 male artists of Greece. 
 
 THE KOMAN PAINTRESS. 
 
 Among the Komans we find but one female painter, 
 and she was of Greek origin and education. The life 
 of the Eoman matrons was not confined to a narrower 
 sphere, and the influence conceded to them might 
 
LAYA. 27 
 
 have been eminently favorable to their cultivation of 
 art. But, with the nation of soldiers who ruled the 
 world, the elegant arts were not at home, as in their 
 Hellenic birth-place. They flourished not so grandly 
 in the palmiest days of Eome, as in the decay of the 
 Empire. The heroic women celebrated in the history 
 of the Kepublic, and in Koman literature, had no 
 rivals in the domain of sculpture and painting. The 
 one whose name has descended to modern times is 
 Laya. She exercised her skill in Eome about a 
 hundred years before Christ. The little knowledge 
 we have of her paintings is very interesting, inasmuch 
 as she was the pioneer in a branch afterward cultiva- 
 ted by many of her sex miniature painting. Her 
 portraits of women were much admired, and she ex- 
 celled in miniatures on ivory. A large picture in 
 Naples is said to be one of her productions. She sur- 
 passed all others in the rapidity of her execution, and 
 her works were so highly valued that her name was 
 ranked with the most renowned painters of the time, 
 such as Sopolis, Dionysius, etc. Pliny, who bears this 
 testimony, adds that her life was devoted to her art, 
 and that she was never married. Some others men- 
 tion a Greek girl, Lola, as contemporary with Cleopa- 
 tra, who was celebrated for her busts in ivory. The 
 Komans caused a statue to be erected to her honor. 
 
 INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY. 
 
 Painting was destined to higher improvements un- 
 der the mild sway of the Christian religion than in 
 the severer school of classical antiquity. Woman 
 gradually rose above the-condition of slavery, and be- 
 gan to preside over the elements that formed the po- 
 etry of life. But changes involving the lapse of cen- 
 
28 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 turies were necessary, before Art could be divested of 
 her Athenian garment, and put on the pure bridal at- 
 tire suited to her nuptials with devotion. After the 
 destruction of the Eoman Empire, there is a long 
 interval during which we hear df no achievement be- 
 yond the Byzantine relics, and the mosaics of the con- 
 vents and cemeteries. 
 
 Even the beauty of early art, associated as it was 
 with the forms of a pagan mythology, was detested 
 by the votaries of a pure and holy faith. The early 
 Christians rejected adornment, which they regarded as 
 inconsistent with their simple tenets, and as an abom- 
 ination in the sight of God. Thus, for seven hundred 
 years art was degraded, and only by degrees did she 
 lift herself from the dust. 
 
 In the mean while female influence grew apace 
 among the nations that rose upon the ruins of Eome. 
 Amalasuntha, the daughter of Theodoric the Great, 
 was worthy of her sire in wisdom and knowledge of 
 statesmanship, while she is said to have surpassed him 
 in general cultivation, and to have rendered him 
 essential service in his building enterprises. Theude- 
 linda, Queen of the Longobards, adorned her palace at 
 Monza with paintings celebrating the history of her 
 people; and, from the time of Charlemagne, each 
 century boasted several women of political and liter- 
 ary celebrity. There was the famous nun Hroswitha, 
 who, in her convent at Gandersheim, composed an 
 ode in praise of Otho, and a religious drama after the 
 manner of Terence; there was the Greek princess 
 Anna Comnena, the ornament of the Byzantine court ; 
 there was the first poetess of Germany, Ava ; with 
 Hildegardis, Abbess of Bingen ; Heloise, the beloved 
 of Abelard ; the Abbess of Hohenburg, who under- 
 
ILLUMINATIONS. 29 
 
 took the bold enterprise of a cyclopaedia of general 
 knowledge ; and a host of others.* 
 
 ILLUMINATIONS. 
 
 Noble women became patrons of art, particularly 
 that branch cultivated with most success in the de- 
 cline of the rest miniature painting upon parchment. 
 From being merely ornamental this became a necessi- 
 ty in manuscript books of devotion, and the brilliant 
 coloring and delicate finish of the illuminations were 
 often owing to the touch of feminine hands. The in- 
 mates of convents and monasteries employed much 
 time in painting and ornamenting books, in copying 
 the best works of ancient art, and in painting on glass ; 
 the nuns especially making a business of copying and 
 illuminating manuscripts. Agnes, Abbess of Qued- 
 linberg, was celebrated as a miniature painter in the 
 twelfth century, and some of her works have survived 
 the desolation of ages. ' ' The cultivators of this charm- 
 ing art were divided into two classes miniaturists, 
 properly so called; and miniature caligraphists. It 
 was the province of the first to color the histories and 
 arabesques, and to lay on the gold and silver orna- 
 ments. The second wrote the book, and the initial 
 letters so frequently traced in red, blue, and gold : these 
 were called ' Pulchri Scriptores,' or fair writers. Paint- 
 ing of this description was peculiarly a religious occu- 
 
 * Later, Angela de Foligno was celebrated as a teacher of theology. 
 Christina Pisani wrote a work, " La Cite' des Dames," which was 
 published in Paris in 1498. It gives account of the learned and 
 famous Novella, the daughter of a professor of the law in the Uni- 
 versity of Bologna. She devoted herself to the same studies, and 
 was distinguished for her scholarship. She conducted her father's 
 cases, and, having as much beauty as learning / was wont to appear 
 in court veiled. 
 
30 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 pation. It was well suited for the peaceful and se- 
 cluded life of the convent or the monastery. It re- 
 quired none of the intimate acquaintance with the pas- 
 sions of the human heart, with the busy scenes of life, 
 so essential to other and higher forms of art." 
 
 The labors of nuns in ornamental work in the Mid- 
 dle Ages were not confined to illuminating and minia- 
 ture painting ; but it is not our province to enumerate 
 the products of their industry, nor to chronicle the 
 benefits they conferred on the sick and poor. The 
 fairest princesses did not disdain to work altar-pieces, 
 and to embroider garments for their friends and 
 lovers. 
 
 In the commencement of the fourteenth century a 
 female painter, named Laodicia, lived in Pavia, and 
 Yasari mentions the Dominican nun, Plautilla Nelli. 
 " In 1476, Fra Domenico da Pistoya and Fra Pietro 
 da Pisa, the spiritual directors of a Dominican convent, 
 established a printing-press within its walls ; the nuns 
 served as compositors, and many works of considerable 
 value issued from this press between 1476 and 1484, 
 when, Bartolomeo da Pistoya dying, the nuns ceased 
 their labors." 
 
 THE FIKST SCULPTRESS. 
 
 Germany had the honor of producing the first fe- 
 male sculptor of whom any thing is known Sabina 
 von Steinbach, the daughter of Erwin von Steinbach, 
 w r ho in that wonderful work, the cathedral of Stras- 
 burg, has reared so glorious a monument to his mem- 
 ory. 
 
 The task of ornamenting this noble building was in 
 great part intrusted to the young girl, whose genius 
 had already exhibited itself in modeling. Her sculp- 
 
SABINA VON STEIKBACH. 31 
 
 tured groups, and especially those on the portal of the -** 
 southern aisle, are of remarkable beauty, and have 
 been admired by visitors during the lapse of ages. 
 Here are allegorical figures representing the Christian 
 Church and Judaism ; the first of lofty bearing and 
 winning grace, with crowned heads, bearing the cross, 
 in their right hands, and in their left the consecrated 
 host. The other figures stand with eyes downcast 
 and drooping head ; in the right hand a broken arrow, 
 in the left the shattered tablets of the Mosaic Law. 
 Besides many other groups are four bas-reliefs repre- 
 senting the glorification of the Virgin ; her death and 
 burial on one side, and on the other her entrance into 
 heaven and triumphant coronation. 
 
 It may well be said that in these works are em- 
 bodied the ideal and supernatural elements that per- 
 vade the sculpture of the Middle Ages ; and it seemed 
 most appropriate that the taste and skill of woman 
 should develop in such elements the purity and depth 
 of feeling which impart a charm to these sculptures 
 acknowledged by every beholder. 
 
 On one of the scrolls, held by the Apostle John, the 
 following lines are inscribed in Latin : 
 
 *' The grace of God be with thee, O Sabina, 
 Whose hands from this hard stone have formed my image." 
 
 An old painting at Strasburg represents this youth- 
 ful sculptress kneeling at the feet of the archbishop, to 
 receive his blessing and a wreath of laurel, which he 
 is placing on her brow. This painting attests the 
 popular belief in a tradition that Sabina, after seeing 
 her statues deposited in their niches, was met by a 
 procession of priests who came, with the prelate at 
 their head, for the purpose of conferring this honor 
 upon her. 
 
32 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 THE FIFTEENTH CENTUKY. 
 
 Commencement of the History of modern Art. Causes of the Barren- 
 ness of this Century in female Artists. The Decline of Chivalry 
 unfavorable to their mental Development. Passing away of the 
 Ideal and Supernatural Element in Art. New Feeling for Na- 
 ture. New Life and Action in Painting. Portrayal of Feelings 
 of the Heart. Release of Painting from her Trammels. Severer 
 Studies necessary for Artists. Woman excluded from the Pur- 
 suit. Patronage sought. One female Artist representing each 
 prominent School. Margaretta von Eyck. Her Miniatures. Ex- 
 tensive Fame. Her Decoration of Manuscripts. Work in Aid of 
 her Brothers. "The gifted Minerva." Single Blessedness. 
 Another Margaretta. Copies and illuminates MSS. in the Car- 
 thusian Convent. Eight folio Volumes filled. Caterina Vigri. 
 Her Miniature Paintings. Founds a Convent. "The Saint of 
 Bologna." Miraculous Painting. The warrior Maiden Onorata. 
 Decorates the Palace at Cremona. Insult offered her. She 
 kills the Insulter. Flight in male Attire. Soldier Life. Delivers 
 Castelleone. The mortal Wound. 
 
 THE fifteenth, century, with which the history of 
 modern art may be properly commenced, is barren in 
 female artists. This is, doubtless, owing in part to a 
 change in the social condition of woman, consequent 
 on the decline of chivalry, that "poetical lie," as Ea- 
 hel terms it.) During the two centuries preceding this 
 period, the fair sex had been regarded with a kind of 
 adoration. Beauty was the minstrel's theme and the 
 soldier's inspiration, and the courts of love, by giving 
 power to the intellectual among women, stimulated 
 them to the cultivation of their minds as well as the 
 adornment of their persons. The descent from their 
 
NEW CONCEPTIONS IN ART. 33 
 
 poetic elevation was unfavorable to mental develop- 
 ment ; and it was not till the opening of the sixteenth 
 century that there appeared symptoms of recovery 
 from the reaction. 
 
 Moreover, art in the fifteenth century had assumed 
 a character unsuited to the peculiar gifts of woman. 
 It had parted with the ideal and supernatural element 
 which formed at once the charm and the weakness of 
 the Middle Ages, and which, as in the case of Sabina 
 von Steinbach, had fostered and developed female 
 talent. A new feeling for nature was born ; a new 
 world of life and action was waiting to be added to 
 the domain of art; while severe study and restless 
 energy were in requisition for more extended con- 
 quests. More correct exhibitions of human individ- 
 uality, action, and passion began to take the place of 
 forms that had before been merely conventional or 
 architectural ; and the portrayal of feeling, in which 
 the human heart could sympathize, superseded the 
 calm religious creations of an earlier age. Painting 
 finally threw off the rigid trammels she had worn. 
 
 The difficulties in the way of elaborating these new 
 conceptions, and the studies of anatomy necessary for 
 the attainment of excellence in delineating the form, 
 excluded women in a great measure from the pursuit. 
 Grervinus remarks that women are fond of realizing 
 new ideas ; but they are those, for the most part, which 
 are readily brought into use in common life, and which 
 require no persevering study to reduce them to prac- 
 tice. Even the triumphs of literary talent in that toil- 
 some age owed much to the patronage of the great. 
 We find many ladies of high rank seeking the muses' 
 favor by the royal road to eminence. 
 
 Notwithstanding the paucity of women artists, we 
 B2 " 
 
34 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 discover at least one representing each prominent 
 school of painting Flemish, Italian, and German. 
 
 MARGARETTA VON EYCK. 
 
 First among these, Margaretta von Eyck deserves 
 mention. She was the sister of Hubert and John von 
 Eyck, who were distinguished not only for enlarged 
 apprehensions of art, but for the discovery and intro- 
 duction of oil-painting. 
 
 While these men were, by their works, preparing 
 the way for an important revolution in the method of 
 painting, Margaretta occupied herself chiefly in paint- 
 ing miniatures. She worked under the patronage of 
 the magnificent and liberal court of Burgundy, and 
 her fame extended even to the countries of the roman- 
 tic south. It is an interesting sight, this modest wom- 
 an-work beside the more important enterprises of the 
 gifted brothers, making itself appreciated so as to fur- 
 nish an example for all time. Sometimes the sister 
 worked with the brother in the decoration of costly 
 manuscripts. One of the finest monuments of their 
 united skill was the breviary now in the imperial 
 library at Paris of that Duke of Bedford who, in 
 1423, married the sister of Philip the Good. Marga- 
 retta's miniatures were preserved also in manuscript 
 romances of the period. One of the earliest historians 
 of Flemish art, Carl von Mander, calls her a " gifted 
 Minerva," and informs us that she spurned the ac- 
 quaintance of " Hymen and Lucina," and lived out her 
 days in single blessedness. 
 
 ANOTHER MARGARETTA. 
 
 As in Margaretta von Eyck the grand efforts of 
 Flemish art found expression modified by a feminine 
 
CATERINA VIGRI. 35 
 
 nature, so had those of. the school in Nuremberg 
 through the labors of another Margaretta a nun from 
 1459 to 1470 in the Carthusian Convent, where she 
 copied and illuminated religious works. Eight folio 
 volumes were filled by her indefatigable hands with 
 Gothic letters and pictures in miniature, presenting a 
 curious specimen of the blending of the art of the 
 scribe with that of the painter, so common in the Mid- 
 dle Ages. 
 
 CATERINA VIGRI. 
 
 A third female artist of this period belonged to Ita- 
 ly. Caterina Yigri, a pupil of the Bolognese school, 
 combined with a high degree of talent a quiet gentle- 
 ness and dignified manner that gained her general 
 esteem. She was born of a noble family in Ferrara 
 in 1413, and exercised her skill chiefly in miniature 
 painting, though several large works are recognized 
 as hers. One of St. Ursula, infolding in her robe her 
 kneeling companions, is exhibited among other fair 
 martyrs in the Pinacothek of Bologna, and, with the 
 pure, calm expression, peculiar to the productions of 
 a preceding age, combines a delicacy, grace, correct- 
 ness of drawing, and freedom with firmness of touch, 
 not often found at that time. One of her pictures is 
 preserved in the Sala Palladiana of the Yenetian Acad- 
 emy. Educated in the most exalted mysticism, she 
 was the founder of the convent of " Corpo di Cristo," 
 which is yet in existence, and shelters the grave of 
 Caterina as well as many of her works. She poured 
 into these all her religious enthusiasm. Her master 
 was Maestro Yitale. She died in the odor of sanctity, 
 and was spoken of as " the Saint of Bologna." In 
 1712 the Catholic Church inscribed her name in the 
 
36 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 second category of saints, with the title of " Beata," in 
 virtue of which she is honored to this day as the pa- 
 tron saint of the fine arts. Tradition relates a story of 
 one of her paintings on wood an infant Jesus hav- 
 ing the power to heal diseases in those who touched 
 the lips of the picture. 
 
 THE WARRIOR MAIDEN. 
 
 Beside this saintly personage stands one who joined 
 the prowess of the soldier to the genius of the painter. 
 Onorata Eodiana was born at Castelleone in Cremona, 
 in the early part of the fifteenth century, and, while 
 yet young, obtained so high a reputation as a painter, 
 that the Marquis Gabrino Fondolo, the tyrant of Cre- 
 mona, appointed her to the task of decorating his 
 palace. 
 
 The maiden, in the prime of her youth and beauty, 
 was engaged in this work when an accidental occur- 
 rence changed the whole course of her life. A court- 
 ier of libertine character, who chanced to see her oc- 
 cupied in painting the walls of a room in the palace, 
 entered, and dared to offer an insulting freedom. The 
 young artist repulsed him ; but, unable to escape his 
 violence without a desperate struggle, the spirited girl 
 at length drew a dagger and stabbed him to the heart. 
 She then rushed from the palace, disguised herself in 
 man's clothes, and quitted the city, declaring that she 
 would rather die in obscure exile than accept a luxu- 
 rious home as the price of dishonor. 
 
 The Marquis Gabrino was at first furious at her es- 
 cape, and commanded a hot pursuit by his soldiers ; 
 but soon afterward relenting, he proclaimed her full 
 pardon, and summoned her to return and complete 
 her labors, which no one else could finish. Onorata, 
 
ONORATA RODIANA. 37 
 
 however, had, in. the mean while, learned the warrior's 
 business in Oldrado Lampugnano's band of Condotti- 
 eri, and her spirit and courage soon elevated her to a 
 post of command. She loved the soldier's life, and 
 continued in it, painting the while, for thirty years. 
 
 When her native town, Castelleone, was besieged 
 by the Venetians, she hastened with her company to 
 its relief. Victory crowned her in the contest, but she 
 fell mortally wounded. She died in 1472, perhaps 
 the only example the world's history affords of a 
 woman, who wielded at the same time the pencil ancj 
 the sword. 
 
38 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 This Century rich in great Painters. Not poor in female Artists. 
 Memorable Period both in Poetry and Painting. Fruits of the La- 
 bor of preceding Century now discernible. Female Disciples in all 
 the Schools of Italian Art. Superiority of the Bolognese School. 
 Properzia Rossi. Her Beauty and finished Education. Carving 
 on Peach-stones. Her Sculptures. The famous Bas-relief of Poti- 
 phar's Wife. Properzia's unhappy Love. Slander and Persecu- 
 tion. Her Works and Fame. Visit of the Pope. Properzia's 
 Death. Traditional Story. Isabella Mazzoni a Sculptor. A fe- 
 male Fresco Painter. Sister Plautilla. Her Works for her Convent 
 Church. Other Works. Women Painters of the Roman School. 
 Teodora Danti. Female Engravers. Diana Ghisi. Irene di Spi- 
 limberg. Her Education in Venice. Titian's Portrait of her. 
 Tasso's Sonnet in her Praise. Poetical Tributes on her Death. 
 Her Works and Merits. Vincenza Armani. Marietta Tintoretto. 
 Her Beauty and musical Accomplishments. Excursions in Boy's 
 Attire with her Father. Her Portraits. They become "the Rage." 
 Invitation from the Emperor. From Philip of Spain. The Fa- 
 ther's Refusal. Her Marriage and Death. Portrait of her. Wom- 
 en Artists of Northern Italy. Barbara Longhi and others. The 
 Nuns of Genoa. 
 
 - THE sixteenth century, rich beyond precedent in 
 great men, was not poor in female artists whose works 
 are worthy of notice. Both in poetry and painting 
 the period was memorable and glorious. The labors 
 of the preceding age had promoted civilization and edu- 
 cation in moral and mental acquirements, the fruits of 
 which were discernible even in Germany, while in 
 Italy the harvest was most abundant. The period pro- 
 duced Yictoria Colonna, Veronica Gambara, Gaspara 
 Stampa, and other women of literary eminence ; while 
 
PROPERZIA DI ROSSI. 39 
 
 the works in art of Michael Angelo, Kaphael, Leonar- 
 do da Vinci, Titian, etc., became monuments for the 
 admiration of succeeding generations. Dr. Guhl aptly 
 remarks, " The fifteenth century was the time of work; 
 the sixteenth the season of harvest." 
 
 None of the numerous schools of Italian art were 
 without female disciples. The Bolognese rose above 
 all others, and at this period gave laws to art. Here 
 we find 
 
 PROPERZIA, THE SCULPTRESS. 
 
 The first woman who gained reputation as a sculp- 
 tor in Italy was Properzia di Kossi. She was born 
 in Bologna in 1490, and possessed not only remark- 
 able beauty of person, with all the graces a finished 
 education could graft upon a refined nature, but va- 
 rious feminine accomplishments, excelling particular- 
 ly, Yasari tells us, in her orderly disposal of house- 
 hold matters. She sang and played on several instru- 
 ments " better than any woman of her day in Bolo- 
 gna," while in many scientific studies she gained a dis- 
 tinction "well calculated," says the Italian historian, 
 " to awaken the envy not of women only, but also of 
 men." This maiden of rich gifts was endowed with a 
 peculiar facility in realizing the creations of fancy, and 
 took at first a strange way of doing so. She under- 
 took the minute carving of peach-stones, and succeed- 
 ed so well as to render credible what had been record- 
 ed of two sculptors of antiquity. Mirmecide is said 
 to have carved a chariot drawn by four horses, with 
 the charioteer, so small that a fly with his wings spread 
 covered the whole. Callicrate sculptured ants with 
 the minutest exactness. Properzia carved on a peach- 
 stone the crucifixion of our Saviour ; a work compris- 
 
40 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 ing a number of figures executioners, disciples, wom- 
 en, and soldiers wonderful for the delicate execu- 
 tion of the minutest figures, and the admirable distri- 
 bution of all. A series of her intaglios is in the pos- 
 session of Count Grassi of Bologna. In a double-head- 
 ed eagle, in silver filagree (the Grassi coat of arms), are 
 imbedded eleven peach-stones, and on each is carved, on 
 one side, one of the eleven apostles, each with an arti- 
 cle of the creed underneath ; on the other, eleven holy 
 virgins with the name of the saint on each, and a mot- 
 to explanatory of her special virtue. In the cabinet 
 of gems in the gallery of Florence is preserved a cher- 
 ry-stone on which is carved a chorus of saints in which 
 seventy heads may be counted. 
 
 It was not long before Properzia began to think, 
 with those who witnessed her success, that it was a 
 pity to throw away so much labor on a nut I At that 
 time the facade of San Petronio, in Bologna, was be- 
 ing ornamented with sculpture and bas-relief. The 
 young girl had studied drawing under Antonio Eai- 
 mondi, and when the three doors of the principal fa- 
 cade were to be decorated with marble figures she 
 made application to the superintendents for a share in 
 the works. She was required to furnish a specimen 
 of her talent. The young sculptress executed a bust 
 from life, in the finest marble, of Count Alessandro de' 
 Pepoli ; this pleased the family and the whole city, and 
 procured immediate orders from the superintendents. 
 
 The one of her productions which has become most 
 celebrated is a bas-relief, in white marble, of Potiphar's 
 wife seeking to detain Joseph by holding his garment. 
 The perfection of the drawing, the grace of the action, 
 and the emotion that breathes from the whole face and 
 form, obtained high praise for this performance. Ya- 
 
PROPERZIA DI ROSSI. 41 
 
 sari calls it " a lovely picture, sculptured with woman- 
 ly grace, and more than admirable." But envy took 
 occasion to make this monument of Properzia's genius 
 a reproach to her memory. It was reported that she 
 was profoundly in love with a young nobleman, An- 
 ton Galeazzo Malvasia, who cared little for her ; and 
 that she depicted her own unhappy passion in the 
 beautiful creation of her chisel. It was probably true 
 that her life was imbittered by this unreturned love. 
 One of her countrymen says the proud patrician dis- 
 dained to own as his wife one who bore a less ancient 
 name; and that he failed in his attempt to persuade 
 her to become his on less honorable terms. Profes- 
 sional jealousy aided in the attempt to depress the 
 pining artist. Amico Albertini, with several men art- 
 ists, commenced a crusade against her, and slandered 
 her to the superintendents with such effect that the 
 wardens refused to pay the proper price for her labors 
 on the fagade. Even her alto-relief was not allowed 
 to have its appointed place. Properzia had no heart 
 to contend against this unmanly persecution ; she nev- 
 er attempted any other work for the building, and the 
 grief to which she was abandoned gradually sapped 
 the springs of life. 
 
 There are two angels in bas-relief, exquisitely sculp- 
 tured by her, in the church of San Petronio ; and an- 
 other work by her hand, representing the Queen of 
 Sheba in the presence of Solomon, is preserved in 
 what is called " the revered chamber." Other works 
 of hers have been pronounced to be in the highest 
 taste. She is said to have furnished some admirable 
 plans in architecture. In copper-plate engraving she 
 succeeded to admiration, and many of her pen-and-ink 
 etchings from Raphael's works obtained the highest 
 
42 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 praise. "With this poor loving girl," Vasari says, 
 " every thing succeeded save her unhappy passion." 
 
 The fame of her noble genius spread throughout 
 Italy ; and Pope Clement VIL, having come to Bo- 
 logna to officiate at the coronation of the Emperor 
 Charles V., inquired for the fair sculptress of whom 
 he had heard such marvelous things. Alas ! she had 
 died that very week on the 14th of February, 1530 
 and her remains had been buried, according to her 
 last request, in the Hospital della Morte. She was la- 
 mented by her fellow-citizens, who held her to have 
 been one of the greatest miracles of nature. But what 
 availed posthumous praises to the victim of injustice 
 and calumny ? 
 
 A story has been told of an interview between Pro- 
 perzia and the Pope ; that, declining his offer to settle 
 her in Kome, she knelt to take leave, when her veil 
 falling disclosed a face of unearthly beauty, sad enough 
 to move the pontiff's sympathy. But it is more prob- 
 able that she died before his coming. 
 
 SISTER PLAUTILLA AND OTHERS. 
 
 Isabella Mazzoni was also known at this period as 
 a sculptor. We hear, too, of Maria Calavrese, who 
 painted in fresco ; and Plautilla Nelli Suor Plautilla, 
 as she is usually called deserves more than a passing 
 mention. Lanzi tells us she was of a noble Florentine 
 family, and born in 1523. She had no assistance in 
 developing her remarkable talent but her study of the 
 designs of Fra Bartolomeo, one of the best masters of 
 the Florentine school. She became a nun of the Do- 
 minican convent of St. Catherine of Sienna in Flor- 
 ence, and having acquired considerable reputation by 
 her skill in painting, finished for the church a Descent 
 
SUOR PLAUTILLA DIANA GHISI. 43 
 
 from the Cross, said to be from a design by Andrea 
 del Sarto ; and a picture of her own composition, the 
 Adoration of the Magi a work that won great praise. 
 In the first may be noticed the same purity of con- 
 tour, the same harmony of light and shade, grace of 
 drapery, and confident repose that characterize the 
 works of Andrea. In the choir of the Convent of 
 Santa Lucia, at Pistoja, was her large picture of the 
 Madonna holding the child, surrounded by saints ; and 
 in the convent at Florence a large painting of the Last 
 Supper. "We do not attempt to enumerate the works 
 credited to her, including her copies of the best mas- 
 ters, particularly Fra Bartolomeo, whom it was not 
 easy to imitate, since he was superior to Kaphael in 
 color, and rivaled Vinci in chiaro-oscuro. Some pic- 
 tures in Berlin, attributed to her, are marked by his 
 purity and careful execution, with his depth and earn- 
 estness. She was also a miniature painter. She was 
 prioress of the convent, and lived to the age of sixty- 
 five. One of her successful pupils was Agatha Tra- 
 ballesi. 
 
 There were no noted women painters of the Eoman 
 school, but we may mention Teodora Danti, who paint- 
 ed several pictures of interiors after the style of Peru- 
 gino. The heads of her figures were remarkable for 
 grace, and she had much ease of action and freshness 
 of coloring, but there was a certain dryness in the 
 forms and poverty in the drapery. 
 
 The wife of the famous engraver, Mare Antonio 
 Eaimondi, also engraved on copper ; and Diana Ghisi 
 copied in her engravings works both of Eaphael and 
 Giulio Eomano. Yasari says of her : " She engraves 
 so admirably, the thing is a perfect miracle. For my 
 own part, who have seen herself and a very pleasing 
 
44 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 and graceful maiden she is as well as her works, 
 which are most exquisite, I have been utterly aston- 
 ished thereby." 
 
 IRENE DI SPILIMBERG. 
 
 A bright example, and the pride of the Venetian 
 school in her day, was Irene di Spilimberg, born at 
 Udina in 1540, of a noble and illustrious family, orig- 
 inally of German origin. She exercised her art at its 
 most flourishing period. She was educated in Venice, 
 surrounded by all the luxury of external and intel- 
 lectual life, and she had Titian for her master. Her 
 fame, however, rests rather on the testimony of her 
 contemporaries than on her own works. Titian, ever 
 alive to female loveliness and artistic merit, has im- 
 mortalized her by a beautiful portrait ; and Tasso has 
 celebrated her charms in one of his sonnets. She died 
 in the opening of her blossom of fame, in the flush of 
 youth and beauty, having scarcely attained the age of 
 nineteen. Her death was deplored in poems and ora- 
 tions, a collection of which was published in Venice 
 twenty years after the event, to set forth the splendid 
 promise which the destroyer had thus untimely nipped. 
 
 Among her works still extant are the Bacchanals 
 in Monte Albedo, and small pictures from religious 
 subjects said to be in the possession of the Maniago 
 family. Lanzi remarks : " The drawing is careless, 
 but the coloring is worthy of the best age of art. We 
 see the reflected rays of her great master's glory, the 
 soft yet rapid gradations of tint, the clear touches, the 
 repeated applications of color, which give a veiled 
 transparency to the tints ; the judicious grouping, the 
 combined majesty and grace in the figures, which con- 
 stitute some of the merits of Titian." Irene is said to 
 
MARIETTA TINTORETTO. 45 
 
 have been a woman of the highest mental culture. 
 Eudolphi includes her among the few women artists 
 he mentions. 
 
 The sixteenth century was not only remarkable for 
 the production of talent, but for its recognition. An- 
 other artist belonging to the Venetian school was 
 Yincenza Armani, who was accomplished in engrav- 
 ing and modeling in wax, and was also celebrated as 
 a poet and musician. 
 
 MARIETTA TINTORETTO. 
 
 Marietta Eobusti, the daughter and pupil of the great 
 painter Tintoretto him who was called "the thunder 
 of art," and excelled in the powerful and terrible 
 was born in 1560. She had a lively disposition and 
 great enthusiasm ; she was very beautiful in person, 
 had a fine voice, and was an accomplished performer 
 on the lute and other instruments. It is no wonder 
 that she was the object of her father's pride and affec- 
 tions. She accompanied him every where, dressed as 
 a boy ; and he developed her genius for art less by 
 precept than by the living example of his own labor. 
 His pictures nourished and fertilized her imagination, 
 and, step by step, she followed him faithfully. Wheth- 
 er he labored at his models or studied the antique 
 statues, or casts from Michael Angelo, the coloring of 
 Titian or the nude figure, she was by his side. She 
 noted his first sketch in the feverish moment of crea- 
 tion, and watched the progress of its execution. His 
 marvelous freedom in handling the brush, his strength 
 and precision in drawing and richness of coloring be- 
 came hers. She learned his secret of giving propor- 
 tion and unity to many figures, and the difficult art of 
 foreshortening; then, after copying his pictures, she 
 
46 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 could say, " I, too, am an artist." She chose the kind 
 of painting suited to her sex. Historical pieces de- 
 manded too much study and application, and it was 
 wearying to design nude figures in imitation of the 
 antique. Portrait painting was easier, and promised 
 more immediate results. 
 
 Her first portrait was that of Marco dei Yescovi. 
 It was greatly admired, particularly the beard, and 
 some ventured to say she had equaled her father. 
 Ere long she became famous, and it was all the rage 
 among the Venetian aristocracy to be painted by Mari- 
 etta. Her father was in raptures at her astonishing 
 progress and success. 
 
 Jacopo Strada, antiquarian to the Emperor Maxi- 
 milian, had his portrait taken by her, and gave it as a 
 curiosity to his imperial master. This, and one she 
 painted of herself, gained her a great reputation. The 
 emperor placed them in his chamber, and invited her 
 to be the artist of his court. The same proposition 
 was made to her by Philip II. of Spain and the Arch- 
 duke Ferdinand. She was a dutiful daughter and 
 obeyed the wishes of Tintoretto, who refused to part 
 with her, even that she might grace a court. To se- 
 cure her against the acceptance of such alluring offers, 
 he bestowed her hand on Mario August!, a wealthy 
 German jeweler, on the condition that she should re- 
 main under the paternal roof. She completed several 
 original designs and painted many portraits. Her ex- 
 quisite taste, her soft and gentle touch, and her skill 
 in coloring were remarkable, both in works of her own 
 invention and those due to her father's genius. 
 
 Tintoretto was not destined long to rejoice in the 
 progress of his lovely daughter. In the flower of her 
 age, in 1590, she departed this life, leaving her husband 
 
MARIETTA TINTORETTO. 47 
 
 and father mourners for the rest of their days. She 
 was buried in the church of Santa Maria dell' Orto. 
 Another artist made a picture of Tintoretto transfer- 
 ring to the canvas the features of his child, still beauti- 
 ful in death. Several of her works are in Venice. 
 One, at the Palais Koyale, represents a man in black, 
 sitting, his hand on an open book lying on a table, 
 where is also an escritoir with papers, a watch, and 
 crucifix. 
 
 Decampes has published an engraving of Marietta's 
 portrait. The expression is very soft and meek; a 
 braid of hair encircles the top of her head, and a rou- 
 leau is put back from the forehead. A handkerchief 
 is crossed on the bosom, and around her neck is a 
 string of large beads. 
 
 Some fair artists of the schools of northern Italy de- 
 serve mention. Vasari speaks of Barbara, daughter 
 of the painter Lucas Longhi, of Kavenna, as possess- 
 ing great talent. In Genoa, Tommasa Fiesca was 
 known as a painter and engraver, as well as a writer 
 of mystical tracts. She and her sister Helen were 
 Dominican nuns, and died in 1534. 
 
4:8 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 The six wonderful Sisters. Sofonisba Anguisciola. Her early 
 Sketches. Painting of three Sisters. Her Success in Milan. 
 Invitation to the Court of Madrid. Pomp of her Journey and 
 Reception. The Diamond. Paints the Royal Family and the 
 Flower of the Nobility. Her Present to Pope Pius. His Letter. 
 Her Style. Lucia's Picture. Sofonisba Governess to the Infanta. 
 Marriage to the Lord of Sicily. His Death at Palermo. The 
 Widow's Voyage. The gallant Captain. Second Love and Mar- 
 riage. Her Residence at Genoa. Royal Visitors. Loss of Sight. 
 Vandyck her Guest. Her Influence on Art in Genoa. Her 
 Portrait and Works. Sofonisba Gentilesca. Her Miniatures of 
 the Spanish Royal Family. Caterina Cantoni. Ludovica Pelle- 
 grini. Angela Criscuolo. Cecilia Brusasorci. Caterina dei Paz- 
 zi. Her Style shows the Infusion of a new Element of religious 
 
 -^-Enthusiasm into Art. Tradition of her painting with eyes closed. 
 Her Canonization. Women in France at this period. Isabella 
 Quatrepomme. Women in Spain. A female Doctor of Theology. 
 Change wrought by Protestantism in the Condition of Woman. 
 Its Influence on Art. An English Paintress. Lavinia Benic. 
 Catherine Schwartz in Germany. Eva von Iberg in Switzer- 
 land. Women Painters in the Netherlands. Female Talent in 
 Antwerp. Albert Durer's Mention of Susannah Gerard. Cath- 
 erine Hamsen. Anna Seghers. Clara de Keyzer. Liewina 
 Bennings' and Susannah Hurembout's Visits to England. The 
 Engraver Barbara. The Dutch Engraver. Constantia, the Flow- 
 er Painter. 
 
 WE come now to the six wonderful sisters Anguis- 
 ciola : Helena, Sofonisba, Minerva, Europa, Lucia, and 
 Anna Maria, all gifted in music and painting. Yasari 
 describes his visit "to the house of Amilcare Anguis- 
 ciola, the happy father of an honorable and distin- 
 guished family ; the very home of painting, as well as 
 
SOFONISBA AISTGUISCIQLA. 49 
 
 of all other accomplishments." In Ariosto's Orlando 
 Furioso, we read : 
 
 "Le Donne son venute in eccellenza 
 Di ciascun' arte, ov' hanno posto cura." 
 
 The best known of these amiable and distinguished 
 sisters was the second ; though Lucia, who died young, 
 acquired celebrity, and produced beautiful and valu- 
 able works. 
 
 SOFONISBA ANGUISCIOLA 
 
 was born in Cremona, some time between 1530 and 
 1540, being descended from a family of high rank. 
 At ten years of age she knew how to draw, and she 
 soon became the best pupil of Bernadino Campi, an 
 excellent Cremonese painter. One of her early sketch- 
 es, representing a boy with his hand caught in a lob- 
 ster's claw, and a little girl laughing at his plight, was 
 in the possession of Yasari, and esteemed by him 
 worthy of a place in a volume which he had filled 
 with drawings by the most famous masters of that 
 great age. Portraits became her favorite study. Ya- 
 sari commends a picture he saw at her father's, repre- 
 senting three of the sisters and an ancient housekeep- 
 er, chess-playing, as a work " painted with so much 
 skill and care that the figures wanted only voice to be 
 alive." He also praises a portrait of herself, which 
 she presented to Pope Julius III. 
 
 Sofonisba instructed her four younger sisters in 
 painting. "While yet in her girlhood she attracted 
 the notice of princes. She accompanied her father to 
 Milan, at that time subject to Spanish rule. There 
 she was received at court with welcome, and painted 
 the portrait of the Duke of Sessa, the viceroy, who re- 
 warded her with four pieces of brocade, and other rich 
 
 C 
 
50 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 gifts. By 1559 her name had become famous through- 
 out Italy. The haughty monarch of Spain, Philip II., 
 who aspired to the title of patron of the fine arts, heard 
 the echo of her renown, and sent instructions to the 
 Duke of Alba, then at Eome, to invite her to the 
 Court of Madrid. The invitation was accepted. So- 
 fonisba was conducted to the Spanish court with re- 
 gal pomp, having a train of two patrician ladies as 
 maids of honor, two chamberlains, and six livery serv- 
 ants. Philip and his queen came out to meet her, and 
 she was sumptuously entertained in the palace. After 
 a time given to repose, she painted the king's portrait, 
 which so pleased him that he rewarded her with a 
 diamond worth fifteen hundred crowns, and a pension 
 of two hundred. Her next sitters were the young 
 queen, Elizabeth of Yalois known as Isabel of the 
 Peace then in the bloom of her bridal loveliness ; 
 and the unhappy boy Don Carlos, who was taken 
 dressed in a lynx-skin and other costly raiment. One 
 after another she painted the flower of the Spanish 
 nobility. Meanwhile she received high honors and 
 profitable appointments from her royal patrons. 
 
 Her extended fame induced Pope Pius IY. to ask 
 her for a portrait of the queen. She executed the 
 commission with alacrity ; and, having bestowed her 
 best care on a second portrait of her majesty, she dis- 
 patched it to Home, with a letter, to be presented to 
 His Holiness. "If it were possible," she says, "to 
 represent to your Holiness the beauty of this queen's 
 soul, you could behold nothing more wonderful." 
 The Pope responded with precious stones and relics 
 set in gems ; gifts worthy of the great abilities of the 
 artist. His letter may interest the reader : 
 
SOFONISBA ANGUISCIOLA. 51 
 
 " We have received the portrait of the most illus- 
 trious Queen of Spain, our dear daughter, whicn you 
 have sent us, and which has been most acceptable, as 
 well on account of the person represented, whom we 
 love paternally for her piety and the many pure quali* 
 ties of her mind, to say nothing of other considera- 
 tions, as because the work has by your hand been 
 very well and diligently accomplished. 
 
 "We thank you for it, assuring you that we shall 
 hold it among our most valued possessions, commend- 
 ed through your skill, which, albeit very wonderful, is 
 nevertheless, as we hear, the very least among the 
 many gifts with which you are endowed. 
 
 " And with this conclusion, we send you again our 
 benediction. May our Lord have you in His keep- 
 ing! 
 
 "Dat. Romae: die 15 Ottobris, 1561." 
 
 Sofonisba's paintings were noted for boldness and 
 freedom ; and in some pieces her figures almost seem- 
 ed to breathe. Some are comic ; and this branch of 
 art, in painting as in literature, demands boldness of 
 conception, spontaneity of movement, and delicacy of 
 touch. One of these works represents a wrinkled old 
 woman learning the alphabet, and a little child mak- 
 ing fun of her behind her back. 
 
 During her residence in Spain Sofonisba received 
 from Cremona the portrait of her mother, Bianca, 
 painted by her sister Europa. It was highly praised 
 by Castilian critics, and the sister prized it as a faith- 
 ful likeness of a beloved one whom she might never 
 again behold. About this time Lucia may have sent 
 her admirable portrait of Pietro Maria, a Cremonese 
 physician a grave and elderly personage in a furred 
 
52 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 robe which now adorns the queen's gallery in Ma- 
 drid, the sole specimen of the powers of the gifted 
 sisters. 
 
 Sofonisba had for some time been lady-in-waiting to 
 the Queen of Spain : she was now appointed by Philip, 
 with other ladies, to undertake the education of the 
 Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia. This proves her to 
 have been in Spain after 1566, the year in which that 
 princess was born. Her royal patrons wished her to 
 marry a Spanish nobleman and take tip her perma- 
 nent abode near their court ; but her hand was already 
 pledged to the feudal lord of Sicily, Don Fabrizio de 
 Mon9ada, and he bore her away to his island home. 
 The king and queen gave her a dowry of twelve 
 thousand crowns and a pension of one thousand; 
 which she had power to bequeath to her son ; besides 
 rich presents in tapestry and jewels, and a dress load- 
 ed with pearls. 
 
 The newly-wedded pair went to Palermo, where 
 after a few years the husband died. Sofonisba was 
 immediately invited back to the court of Madrid, but 
 expressed a desire to see Cremona and her kindred 
 before her return to Spain. She embarked on board 
 a Genoese galley, commanded by a patrician called 
 Orazio Lomellini. He entertained the fair widow with 
 gallant courtesy during the voyage, and she appears 
 to have been not inconsolable for the loss of her hus- 
 band. She loved the Genoese, it is said, out of sheer 
 gratitude ; although her biographer, Soprani, does not 
 hesitate to say that she made him an offer of her hand, 
 which he- "quel generoso signor" very promptly 
 accepted. The Lomellini family still preserve her 
 portrait, painted by herself after the manner of Ka- 
 phael. 
 
SOFONISBA ANGUISCIOLA. 53 
 
 We now find her living at Genoa, where she pur- 
 sued her art with indefatigable zeal. Her house be- 
 came the resort of all the polished and intellectual 
 society of the republic. Nor was she forgotten by her 
 royal friends of the house of Austria. On hearing of 
 her second nuptials, their Catholic majesties added 
 four hundred crowns to her pension. The Empress 
 of Germany paid her a visit on her way to Spain, and 
 accepted a little picture, one of the most finished and 
 beautiful of Sofonisba's works. She also received the 
 honor of a visit from her former charge, the Infanta, 
 now, married or about to be married to the Archduke 
 Albert, and joint sovereign with him over Flanders. 
 This princess spent several hours talking with her 
 friend of old times and family affairs ; and sat for her 
 portrait, for which, when it was finished, she gave So- 
 fonisba a gold chain enriched with jewels. This pret- 
 ty memorial of friendship was greatly prized by the 
 artist. Thus caressed by royalty, and courted in Gen- 
 oese society, she lived to an extreme old age. A me- 
 dallion was struck at Bologna in honor of her ; the 
 most distinguished artists listened reverentially to her 
 opinions, and poets sang the praises of 
 
 "La bella e saggia dipintrice, 
 La nobil Sofonisba da Cremona." 
 
 In the latter years of her life Sofonisba was de- 
 prived of her sight ; but retained her intellectual fac- 
 ulties, her love of art, and her relish for the society of 
 its professors. The conferences she held in her own 
 palace were attended to the last by distinguished paint- 
 ers from every quarter. Yandyck was frequently her 
 guest, and was accustomed to say he had received' 
 more enlightenment from this blind old woman than 
 from all his studies of the greatest masters. This was 
 
54 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 no mean praise from the favorite scholar of Eubens ; 
 and who shall say it was not deserved ? By precept 
 and by example she helped to raise art in Genoa from 
 the decay into which it had fallen in the middle of the 
 sixteenth century. Her pictures have something of 
 the grace and cheerfulness of Raphael, in whose style 
 her first master painted, and something of the relief 
 of the followers of Correggio. " More than any other 
 woman of her time," writes Yasari, " with more study 
 and greater grace, she has labored on every thing con- 
 nected with drawing ; not only has she drawn, color- 
 ed, and painted from life, and made excellent copies, 
 but she has also drawn many beautiful original pic- 
 tures." 
 
 One of Sofonisba's works, seen at Cremona in 1824, 
 was a beautiful picture of the Virgin giving suck to 
 the Divine infant. In portraits her skill is said to 
 have been little inferior to Titian. Her charming por- 
 trait of herself is no mean gem among the treasures of 
 the galleries and libraries at Althorp. She has drawn 
 herself in what the Germans term a "knee-piece;" 
 rather under life-size. The small and finely -formed 
 head is well set on a graceful neck ; the dark hair is 
 smoothly and simply dressed ; the features are Italian 
 and regular; the complexion is a clear olive; and the 
 eyes are large, black, and liquid. The dark, close-fit- 
 ting dress is relieved by white frills at the throat and 
 wrists, and two white tassels hanging over the breast. 
 Her delicate and exquisitely painted hands are seen 
 over the chords of a spinet. On the right, in deep 
 shadow, stands an old woman, wearing a kerchief 
 twisted turbanwise around her head, and resembling 
 a St. Elizabeth or a St. Anne in a religious composi- 
 tion of the Caracci. The whole is painted in the clear, 
 
PAZZI. 55 
 
 firm manner of the best pencils of Florence. Sofonis- 
 ba died in 1620. 
 
 Palomino mentions Sofonisba Gentilesca among the 
 fr reign painters of the reign of Philip II. : "a lady il- 
 lustrious in the art," who came from France to Spain 
 in the train of Isabel of the Peace. She painted minia- 
 tures with great skill, and had for sitters their majes- 
 ties, the Infant Don Carlos, and many ladies of the 
 court. She died at Madrid in 1587. 
 
 Another noble lady, Caterina Cantoni, known as an 
 excellent engraver, was invited into Spain with Sofo- 
 nisba, to pursue there the calling she seems to have 
 practiced with success in Italy. Ludovica Pellegrini 
 was complimented with the title of the " second Mi- 
 nerva" for her excellence in this branch of art. She 
 also devoted herself to needle- work, and embroidered 
 sacred furniture, and the great pallium (vestment), ex- 
 hibited to strangers as a curious specimen of art and 
 learning. Boschini mentions "the unrivaled Doro- 
 thea Aromatari" as having produced with her needle 
 those beauties the finest artists executed with the pen- 
 cil. Other women were celebrated embroiderers. Na- 
 ples boasted of one who surpassed her contemporaries 
 both in painting and music Maria Angela Criscuolo. 
 Cecilia Brusasorci, the daughter of the great fresco 
 painter, became celebrated for her portraits toward the 
 close of this century. 
 
 Passing over a number of minor names, we may 
 close the review of this period by a notice of Caterina 
 de 7 Pazzi. She was born in 1566, and retired early to 
 a convent, where she assumed the name of Maria Mad- 
 dalena. The energy with which she cultivated art, and 
 the peculiar character of her works and those of others 
 produced at this time, show the infusion of a new ele- 
 
56 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 merit of religious enthusiasm into art. Tradition pre- 
 serves the story of this nun painting sacred pictures 
 with her eyes closed. In the cloisters of the Carmel- 
 ites at Parma, and in the church of Santa Maria in 
 Cosmedin, at Kome, works of hers may be found. Dy- 
 ing in 1607, she was canonized by Clement IX. in 
 1669 ; and at this day a picture in one of the richest 
 churches of Florence bears the name of the saintly 
 artist, whose body reposes in a magnificent chapel 
 under the same roof. 
 
 No other nation, during the sixteenth century, can 
 compete with Italy in female artists. In France wom- 
 en enjoyed great influence in public affairs, and sev- 
 eral ladies of the highest rank were distinguished for 
 their literary productions and accomplishments. Isa- 
 bella Quatrepomme is mentioned by Papillon as an 
 excellent engraver on wood. She was born in Eouen, 
 and flourished about 1521. A frontispiece in an old 
 calendar, executed in neat style, representing a figure 
 of Janus, is supposed to be by her, as it is marked with 
 an apple on which there is a figure 4. 
 
 In Spain the flowers of art began to bloom at a later 
 period; although in the liberal studies women were 
 not behindhand. Isabella Losa, of Cordova, was ap- 
 pointed a doctor of theology, and there were ladies in 
 Valencia, who, familiar with the works of Italian mas- 
 ters of art, made it their study to imitate them. 
 
 In the north the advance of Protestantism wrought 
 a change in the condition of women, which had its in- 
 fluence on art. Domestic employments, and the do- 
 mestic virtues, became more universally the delight 
 and study of the fair sex. "While the light of religious 
 truth was penetrating their homes with its softened 
 radiance, the growth of a deep moral feeling was pre- 
 
FLEMISH WOMEN ARTISTS. 57 
 
 paring the way for farther triumphs in the imitative 
 arts. England, where flourished many poetesses, had 
 one female painter LewinaTirlinks during the reign 
 of Elizabeth. Germany boasted of Catherine Schwartz, 
 the wife, probably, of that Christopher Schwartz whom 
 his contemporaries called the German Eaphael ; while 
 in Switzerland Eva von Iberg transferred to canvas 
 the beauties of her country's scenery. 
 
 In the Netherlands, on the other hand, the number 
 of women painters at this period was large, and many 
 were the diligent successors of Margaretta von Eyck 
 in her native place. Her brothers, at the head of the old 
 Flemish school, showed the combination of traditional 
 types and ancient habits with the results of the strug- 
 gles of the human mind for emancipation in this cen- 
 tury. Antwerp seems to have been a rich soil for the 
 production of female talent. Here, in 1521, Albrecht 
 Durer became acquainted with the fair painter so hon- 
 orably mentioned in his journal. "Master Gerard, il- 
 luminist," he says, "has a daughter eighteen years of 
 age, named Susannah, who illuminated a little book 
 which I purchased for a few guilders. It is wonder- 
 ful that a woman can do so much !" Among noted 
 miniature painters we hear of Catherine Hamsen, who 
 went into Spain, and entered the service of the Queen 
 of Hungary on a good salary ; also of Anna Seghers ; 
 Anna Smyters, and Margaret de Heere. Clara de 
 'Keyzer, or Clara Skeysers, of Ghent, died unmarried 
 at the age of eighty. She enjoyed a celebrity that ex- 
 tended to Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, all which 
 countries were visited by her. 
 
 Susannah Hurembout and Liewina Bennings, or Be- 
 nic, should not be passed over. The latter, the daugh- 
 ter of "Maestro Simon," was born in Bruges; was 
 
 C2 
 
58 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 invited to London by Henry VIII., and was treated 
 with great favor by both queens Mary and Elizabeth. 
 King Henry gave her in marriage to an English noble- 
 man. It has been thought she is the same person with 
 Lewina Tirlinks. Susannah also received an invita- 
 tion from "bluff King Harry" to visit his court, and 
 lived in England, where she was treated with great 
 distinction, for the remainder of her life. Both these 
 women were miniature painters. Barbara Yan den 
 Broeck, the daughter of Crispin, was born in Antwerp, 
 1560, and engraved from her father's designs. She 
 handled the graver with consummate skill. In some 
 pieces, she imitated successfully the style of Martin 
 Rota. 
 
 In Holland, Magdalen de Passe was known as an 
 engraver in copper, and Constantia von Utrecht as a 
 flower-painter; one who first acquired distinction in 
 this delicate and feminine branch of study, and direct- 
 ed to it the attention of her country-women. In later 
 times tne city where she lived and wrought became 
 the capital of the world in this species of painting. 
 
THE NATUKALISTI. 59 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 New Ground presented for Progress. Greater Diversity of Style. 
 Naturalism. The Caracci instrumental in giving to Painting the 
 Impetus of Reform. Their Academy. One opened by a Milanese 
 Lady. The learned Poetess and her hundredth Birthday. Female 
 Painters and Engravers. Lavinia Fontana. The hasty Judg- 
 ment. Lavinia a Pupil of Caracci. Character of her Pictures. 
 Honors paid to her. Courted by Royalty. Her Beauty and Suit- 
 ors. A romantic Lover. Lavinia's Paintings. Close of the Pe- 
 riod of the Christian Ideal in Art. Lavinia's CJief-d 1 (Euvre. Her 
 Children. Professional Honoi'S. Her Death. Female Disciples of 
 the Caracci School. Pupils of Domenichino, Lanfranco, and Guido 
 Reni. The churlish Guercino a Despiser of Women. The Cardi- 
 nal's Niece and Heiress. Her great Paintings. Founds a Cloister. 
 Artemisia Gentileschi, a Pupil of Guido. Her Portraits. Visit 
 to England. Favor with Charles I. Luxurious Abode in Naples. 
 Her Correspondence. Judgment of her Pictures. Elisabetta Si- 
 rani. Her artistic Character. Her household Life. Industry and 
 Modesty. Her Virtues and Graces. Envious Artists. Defeat of 
 Calumny. Her mysterious Fate. Conjectures respecting it. 
 Funeral Obsequies. Her principal Works. Her Influence on fe- 
 male Artists. Her Pupils. Other Women Artists of Bologna. 
 
 IN the seventeenth century the elements of disturb- 
 ance had in part subsided, and new ground was pre- 
 sented for the progress of human intellect. A certain 
 uniformity in art, which was the consequence of a close 
 academical imitation of the old masters, gave place to 
 a greater diversity of style, and, in some instances, to 
 a vigorous and somewhat rude naturalism. The Natu- 
 ralist! were so called on account of their predilection 
 for the direct imitation of the common forms and as- 
 pects of nature. Passion was their inspiration, and 
 
60 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 their imitation was too often carried to excess, pre- 
 senting what might be termed the poetry of the re- 
 pulsive. 
 
 A new spirit of inquiry and a feeling of self-reli- 
 ance had entered the popular mind that did not fail 
 to influence the progress both of literature and art. 
 The masters who were most strikingly instrumental 
 in giving to painting the impetus of reform were Lu- 
 dovico, Augustin, and Annibal Caracci. Amid many 
 difficulties they opened an academy in their native 
 city, Bologna, where art was taught on the principles 
 then esteemed essential. In its theoretical and prac- 
 tical departments a goodly number of students were 
 there permitted to profit by the works of the early 
 masters. The good example was soon followed, and 
 we hear of a Milanese lady opening her house for an 
 academy. 
 
 Arcangela Palladini excelled in painting, poetry, 
 music, and embroidery. A piece of her needle-work 
 hung in the ducal gallery at Pisa, where none but 
 great works were preserved. Beatrice Pappafava, a 
 paintress, was also a learned lady, and is said to have 
 celebrated her own hundredth birthday in an original 
 sonnet of much merit. Caterina Rusca obtained some 
 repute as an engraver on copper ; and Augusta Tara- 
 botti, who studied painting under the direction of 
 Clara Yarotari, was also a poet and the author of " An 
 Apology for the Female Sex," which was received 
 with considerable attention. Fede Galizia, the daugh- 
 ter of a celebrated miniaturist, lived in' Milan. In fig- 
 ures and landscapes she evinced taste, accuracy, and 
 finish. She was devoted to the ideal, and this tend- 
 ency appeared in her design and coloring. 
 
LAVINIA FONTANA. 61 
 
 LAVINIA FONTANA. 
 
 One among the female artists who adopted the style 
 of the Caracci and helped to introduce a change in 
 art was Lavinia Fontana, one of the most celebrated 
 women of the century. She was the daughter of that 
 Prospero Fontana who gave lessons in painting to Lu- 
 dovico Caracci, and was wont much to disparage him. 
 He once remarked that his scholar would do better at 
 mixing colors than as a painter ! But Caracci had his 
 revenge in after years, when Fontana was heard to 
 lament that he was too old to become the pupil of the 
 great artist who had. once been his own despised schol- 
 ar ! The instruction he could not receive was the priv- 
 ilege of his daughter Lavinia, who was born in Bolo- 
 gna in 1552. She adopted her father's manner, and 
 gained great celebrity in portrait painting; but, in 
 later years, became the disciple of Caracci, after which 
 she succeeded in giving her pictures so much softness, 
 sweetness, and tenderness, that some of them have 
 even been compared to those of Guido Eeni. To deli- 
 cacy of touch she united rare skill in taking likenesses. 
 Her talents met with appreciation and honors not often 
 accorded to female merit. The first ladies in Eome 
 sought to become her sitters, and the greatest cardinals 
 deemed themselves fortunate in having their portraits 
 executed by her skillful hand. Her portraits were so 
 highly esteemed that they commanded enormous prices, 
 and were displayed with pride in the galleries of the 
 nobility and the most cultivated persons in the land. 
 Her services were engaged by Pope Gregory XIII. 
 as his painter in ordinary ; and she worked for the 
 Buoncompagni family. Other crowned heads sought 
 her society, and the most wondrous grace of all was 
 
62 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 that these honors did not create in her vanity or self- 
 conceit. To her accomplishments she added such per- 
 sonal attractions that her hand was sought by many 
 distinguished and titled suitors ; but she preferred to 
 them all a young man unknown to fame, Giovanni 
 Paolo Zappi, of Imola. Some authorities speak of him 
 as a wealthy nobleman. He had painted in her father's 
 studio for love of the charming daughter, and had been 
 accustomed to paint the clothes in her portraits so well 
 that she had made concerning him the not very flatter- 
 ing observation, that " he was worth more as a tailor 
 than a painter." He was rewarded by marrying her, 
 the condition being exacted that Lavinia should re- 
 main free to follow her professional career. 
 
 Besides portraits, she produced several compositions 
 on sacred subjects; some church pictures now in Bo- 
 logna, and some on worldly themes, as the picture of 
 "Venus in the Berlin Museum. In her later works, 
 after her lessons with Caracci, she acquired a softness 
 and warmth of coloring that remind one of the mas- 
 ters of the Yenetian school. One of her productions 
 Saint Francis de Paula raising a dead person pre- 
 served in the Pinacothek of Bologna has been noticed 
 for this. Of her pictures besides are the Crucifixion, 
 the Miracle of the Loaves, and the Annunciation. 
 These were for churches of Bologna. 
 
 Lavinia lived at the close of what was peculiarly 
 the period of Christian art, and it seems just to place 
 her among the artists who labored while the Christian 
 ideal, in all its splendor, was yet above the horizon. 
 On this period Raphael and Michael Angelo had set 
 their seal, and the Christian ideal was exhausted in the 
 Transfiguration, and the frescoes of the Sistine chapel; 
 they could not be surpassed. One of Lavinia's works 
 
LAVINIA FONTANA. 63 
 
 the Nativity of the Virgin, at nighttime is still 
 exhibited in her native city. The infant Mary is sur- 
 rounded by a cloud of angels, and a saint is pointing 
 to two children below. A figure in magnificent bish- 
 op's robes, on the other side, is in the act of sprinkling 
 holy water on two beautiful kneeling girls. This 
 picture, Bolognini asserts, alone justifies the artist's 
 fame. In the Escurial at Madrid is a piece by her, 
 representing a Madonna uplifting a veil to view her 
 sleeping child, who reposes on richly-embroidered 
 cushions ; St. Joseph and St. John stand near. " A 
 picture," says Mazzolari, "so vivid, so gay and grace- 
 ful, and of such glorious coloring, so full of beauty, 
 that one is never weary of admiring it." A picture 
 which has especially contributed to her artistic fame 
 represents the Queen of Sheba in the presence of Sol- 
 omon ; but it has also an allegorical reference to the 
 Duke and Duchess of Mantua, and various personages 
 of their court. Lanzi considers this production wor- 
 thy of the Venetian school. Another represents a 
 royal infant, playing on a bed, wrapped in blankets, 
 and adorned with a splendid necklace. A " Judith, 
 seen by torch-light," is in the possession of the Delia 
 Casa family. A Virgin and Child, which she painted 
 for Cardinal Ascoli, and sent to Eome, has been thought 
 her best production, and brought her so much fame, 
 that, a large painting being required for a church, the 
 commission was intrusted to Lavinia, in preference to 
 many first-class artists, who sought it. She painted a 
 stoning of Stephen, with a number of figures, and a 
 halo above representing heaven opening. The figures 
 were larger than life, and the work was not as success- 
 ful as Lavinia had hoped. But after she confined her- 
 self to portrait painting, she had no reason to be dis- 
 
64: WOMEN ARTISTS. * 
 
 satisfied with her success. Her chef d'ceuvre is said to 
 be her own portrait, taken when she was young and 
 surpassingly beautiful. It is now in the possession of 
 Count Zappi, at Imola, and has been engraved by Kos- 
 sini, for his history of Italian painting. The portrait 
 is painted in an oval ; in the background, ranged on a 
 shelf, are models in clay of busts, heads, trunks, hands, 
 and feet. The artist is seated at a table, on which are 
 two casts of Greek statues ; she is in the act of com- 
 mencing a drawing, and is -dressed with elegant sim- 
 plicity, her mantle flowing in clear and ample folds. 
 Under the ruff encircling her neck hangs a pearl neck- 
 lace, to which is attached a golden crucifix. She wears 
 a Mary Stuart headdress, and the head is colored with 
 wonderful delicacy and transparency. The work 
 unites correctness of drawing with incomparable grace. 
 England possesses three paintings by Lavinia Fontana. 
 This famous artist had three children, and was un- 
 happy in them. Her only daughter lost the sight of 
 one eye, by running a pin into it j and one of her boys 
 was half-witted, and served to amuse loungers in the 
 Pope's antechamber. Malvasia remarks, " The story 
 ran that he inherited his simplicity from his father; 
 assuredly it came not from his mother, who was as 
 full of talent and sagacity as she was good and virtu- 
 
 ous." 
 
 Lavinia was elected a member of the Eoman Acad- 
 emy. Her merits were celebrated by contemporaries; 
 Marini, among other poets, wrote in her praise ; and 
 in such estimation was she held, that, when she passed 
 near the seat of the Lord of Sora and Yignola, the 
 proud patrician came out to meet her at the head of 
 his retainers, according to the fashion then in vogue 
 for the reception of royal personages. 
 
FAIR STUDENTS OF GREAT MASTERS. 65 
 
 Among the Lettere Pittoriche is a letter dated 1609, 
 signed Lavinia Fontana Zappi. This proves her to 
 have been living then. One authority states that she 
 died at Eome, in 1614, aged sixty-two. 
 
 While Lavinia Fontana availed herself of the sys- 
 tem of Caracci, another, who enjoyed in early life the 
 advantage of being Ludovico's pupil, emulated his ex- 
 cellences so successfully that she produced a fine pic- 
 ture, full of figures, from one of his compositions, in 
 '1614, for the church of the Annunziata, in Bologna. 
 This was Antonia Pinelli. For skill in drawing and 
 purity of tone she was held in high estimation. 
 
 Numerous were the young women who learned 
 painting in the atelier of the Caracci; while other 
 masters had their share of fair students. Domenichino 
 is said to have been the teacher of Flavia Durand, 
 Teresa del Po, and Artemisia Gentileschi ; Lanfranco 
 brought to light the talent of Caterina Ginnassi ; Guido 
 Keni gave instruction to Madalena Natali, and formed 
 the genius of Elisabetta Sirani, the pride of the Bo- 
 lognese school. Albano, however, was an exception, 
 and, with the churlish Guercino, who despised every 
 thing like female talent, had no pupils of the fair sex. 
 A sister of one of his pupils, nevertheless Flaminia 
 Triva, of Eeggio became a painter much esteemed 
 by the connoisseurs of her time. 
 
 Of these artists, only the three most distinguished 
 need be noticed here. Caterina Ginnassi, of noble 
 family and the niece of a cardinal, was born in Eome, 
 1590. She was well instructed from early youth in 
 all feminine employments, useful as well as brilliant. 
 She often said, afterward, "The needle and distaff 
 are sad enemies to the brush and the pencil." Her 
 first master was Clelio, and after his death she threw 
 
66 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 herself into the bold and brilliant manner of Lanfran- 
 co. She produced the great paintings that adorned 
 the church founded by her uncle, of St. Lucia, in 
 Eome. Becoming the inheritor of the cardinal's large 
 possessions, she founded, according to his directions, a 
 cloister, with a seminary attached for students from 
 Eomagna ; as abbess of which, she continued to prac- 
 tice her favorite art, dying in 1680, in the enjoyment 
 of the fame and popularity her industry and piety had 
 deservedly won. 
 
 ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI. 
 
 The life of Artemisia Gentileschi was more in the 
 world and more brilliant. She was the daughter of 
 the painter Orazio Gentileschi, was married to Pier 
 Antonio Schiattesi, and lived long in Naples. Keceiv- 
 ing her earliest lessons from Guido Keni, at a later pe- 
 riod she studied the works of Domenichino, one of the 
 best masters of expression in the Bolognese school. 
 Her great reputation was acquired by numerous por- 
 traits, and her skill in this species of painting obtained 
 for her the honor of a call to the English court, 
 whither her father accompanied her. There the art- 
 appreciating monarch Charles I. gave her abundant 
 employment. She was esteemed not inferior to her 
 father in historical pieces. King Charles placed sev- 
 eral of her works among his treasures. " David with 
 Goliath's head" was considered her best. Some of 
 the royal family sat to her for their portraits, as did 
 several of the nobility. A female figure, representing 
 Fame, of great merit, was in the royal collection. Her 
 own portrait is in Hampton Court, painted in the 
 powerful and vivid style of Michael Angelo. Wagen 
 says she excelled her father in portraits. 
 
GENTILESCHI. 67 
 
 Having reaped a rich, reward for her labors in En- 
 gland, she returned to Naples, where she seems to have 
 established herself in much splendor. She died in 
 1642, at the age of fifty-two. Several letters addressed 
 to the Cavalier del Pozzo were found among her pa- 
 pers. In one, dated 1637, she inquires coolly after 
 her husband. " Sia servita darmi nuova della vita o 
 morte di mio marito." Some of her letters contain 
 orders for gloves ; now her request to the Pope was 
 permission for a priestly friend to bear arms ; now she 
 appealed to the Cardinal Barberini, then, all powerful 
 in Rome, for assistance in disposing of some large pic- 
 ture, to furnish means to provide for the wedding of a 
 daughter with suitable magnificence ; after the grant- 
 ing of which favor, she would add, in the Italian fash- 
 ion, that, "free from this burden," she would return 
 contented to her home. A fine specimen of her skill 
 in painting is a picture of " Judith," in the Palazzo 
 Pitti, which shows, in its ground- work, the principles 
 of the school of Bologna ; while its finish, on the other 
 hand, exhibits the startling effects of the Neapolitan 
 school. Lanzi says, "It is a picture of strong color- 
 ing, of a tone and intensity that inspires awe." Mrs. 
 Jameson remarks, " This dreadful picture is a proof 
 of her genius, and, let me add, of its atrocious misdi- 
 rection." But the artist should not be censured for 
 her treatment of a subject which may not have been 
 her own choice. " Susannah and the Elders" pleases 
 by the scene and the drapery of the figures. The 
 "Birth of John the Baptist," in the Museum of Ma- 
 drid, painted by this lady as a family piece, displays 
 the same combination, but has more of the freedom of 
 nature, and a certain boldness that betokens familiar 
 acquaintance with life and the best models. 
 
68 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 ELISABETTA SIKANI. 
 
 A place among the most gifted and the most illus- 
 trious women who, in any country or in any age, have 
 devoted themselves to the fine arts, must be accorded 
 to Elisabetta Sirani. She has been pronounced a 
 complete artist ; unrivaled by any of her sex in fertil- 
 ity of invention, in the power of combining parts in a 
 noble whole, in knowledge of drawing and foreshort- 
 ening, and in the minute details that contribute to the 
 perfection of a painting. Had she lived longer, she 
 would have equaled any painter of her time. 
 
 She was born in Bologna, about 1640, and was the 
 daughter of a painter of no inconsiderable merit. She 
 was enrolled among the pupils of Guido Eeni, and her 
 artistic character was formed after the 'model of this 
 most gifted and most versatile master of the Bolognese 
 school. She imbibed from him an exquisite sense of 
 the beautiful, and a peculiar gift of reproducing it. 
 To this she added a vigor and energy rare in a woman. 
 She made herself acquainted early with the works of 
 the most distinguished painters, and manifested so 
 much talent in youth, that she became the admiration 
 of her acquaintances, particularly as she excelled also 
 in music; while, to the gift of genius, she added 
 that of rare personal loveliness. Lanzi speaks of her 
 with enthusiastic admiration. It is not often that an 
 artist of celebrity so generally wins the affections of 
 those who know her. This popularity perhaps added 
 to her renown ; or the tragical fate of the blooming 
 girl may have contributed to invest her name with a 
 halo of romantic glory. Malvasia, who tells -us she 
 was persuaded by her father to adopt the profession 
 of a painter, calls her "the heroine among artists" 
 
ELISABETTA SIKANI. 69 
 
 and himself " the trumpeter of her fame." Another 
 eulogist, in the glowing style of Picinardi, praises her 
 unwearied industry, her moderation in eating, and 
 simplicity in dress ; and the exquisite modesty with 
 which she was always ready for household employ- 
 ments. She would rise at dawn to perform those low- 
 ly domestic tasks for which her occupations during 
 the day left her little leisure, and never permitted her 
 passion for art to interfere with the fulfillment of 
 homely duties. Thus she was admirable in the circle 
 of daily life, as in her loftiest aspirations. She ob- 
 tained time in this manner for her exercises in poetry 
 and music. All praised her gracious and cheerful 
 spirit, her prompt judgment, and deep feeling for the 
 art she loved. Besides being a painter, she was an 
 adept in sculpture and engraving on copper, thus 
 meriting the praise lavished on her as "a miracle of 
 art." 
 
 Her devoted filial affection, her feminine grace, and 
 the artless benignity of her manners, completed a 
 character regarded by her friends as an ideal of per- 
 fection. Malvasia mentions the rapidity with which 
 she worked, often throwing off sketches and execut- 
 ing oil pictures in the presence of strange spectators. 
 The envious artists of her time took occasion, from 
 the number of her paintings, to insinuate that her fa- 
 ther gave out his own works for his daughter's to ob- 
 tain a higher price for them ; but the stupid calumny 
 soon fell to the ground, for every one had free access 
 to the studio of Elisabetta, and one day, in the pres- 
 ence of the Duchess of Brunswick, the Duchess of 
 Mirandola, Cosimo, Duke of Tuscany, and others, she 
 drew and shaded subjects chosen by each with such 
 promptitude that the incredulous were confounded. 
 
70 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 She had hardly received the commission of her large 
 picture "The Baptism of Jesus" before she had 
 sketched on the canvas the entire conception of that 
 memorable incident, including many and various fig- 
 ures ; and the work was completed with equal rapid- 
 ity. She was then only twenty years of age. 
 
 Her method has been compared to that of Guido 
 Reni, whose versatility she combined with rare force 
 and decision, and peculiar delicacy and tenderness; 
 the most opposite qualities being harmonized in her 
 productions. 
 
 This fascinating artist, in the height of her fame, in 
 the flush of early womanhood, was snatched from her 
 friends by a cruel and mysterious doom. Her fate is 
 involved in a darkness which has not been penetrated 
 to this day. Some do not hesitate to aver that her 
 sudden death was a base and cruel murder ; that she 
 was poisoned by the same hands that administered the 
 deadly draught to Domenichino those of Ribiera or 
 his disciples, jealous of her rising fame. The general 
 impression is that she was the victim of professional 
 envy. Some averred that her death was caused by 
 the revenge of a princely lover, whose dishonorable 
 advances were repelled, or some great personage who 
 was incensed at her refusal to engage in his service, 
 or of a distinguished individual who felt aggrieved by 
 a caricature, and secretly employed a servant to put 
 poison in her food. Each story was believed among 
 her contemporaries, and the record of the examination 
 is yet extant ; but it was conducted without regular- 
 ity, and throws no light upon the mysterious assas- 
 sination. 
 
 Great was the excitement on the 14th November, 
 1665, in Bologna, on the day of her funeral, when the 
 
ELISABETTA SIRANI. 71 
 
 whole population crowded, weeping, to see the once 
 beautiful features distorted by the hateful poison. The 
 victim of revenge or jealousy was honored with solemn 
 and splendid funeral ceremonies in the church of St. 
 Domenico. 
 
 Shortly after her death a work was published, in 
 which was included a number of poetical eulogies and 
 tributes, from the most eminent poets of the day, to the 
 memory and virtues of the deceased. One line runs 
 thus i 
 
 "I was a woman, yet I knew not love." 
 
 Picinardi adds the information that the pure calm of 
 her soul was never disturbed by the grand passion. 
 On the other hand, Gualandi intimates that the high- 
 ly gifted maiden cherished for a young artist of her 
 acquaintance an ardent affection, but that her father 
 would not consent to the marriage. The romantic 
 may please themselves with the supposition that the 
 seed of genius sown in the nature of this richly endow- 
 ed girl was quickened in the glow of an unhappy pas- 
 sion into the gorgeous bloom that attracted the eye of 
 the world. 
 
 Elisabetta lies at rest in the chapel of the Madonna 
 del Eosario in the church of St. Domenico, which also 
 incloses the dust of her great master, Guido Eeni. The 
 works enumerated as hers by Malvasia, from her own 
 register, were one hundred and fifty pictures and por- 
 traits, some of them large and carefully finished. Her 
 first public work was executed in 1655. Her com- 
 position was elegant and tasteful ; her designing cor- 
 rect and firm; and the freshness and suavity of her 
 color, especially in demi-tints, reminded one of Gruido. 
 The air of her heads was graceful and noble, and she 
 was peculiarly successful in the expressive character 
 
72 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 of her Madonnas and Magdalens. Among her finest 
 pictures are mentioned a Francesco di Padoua kneel- 
 ing before the infant Christ, a Virgin and St. Anna 
 contemplating the sleeping Saviour, and others, pre- 
 served in several palaces in Bologna. Her portrait 
 of herself was taken in the act of painting her father. 
 Another portrait of her is in the person of a saint look- 
 ing up to heaven. Among her paintings on copper, 
 which are exquisitely delicate, is a Lot with his chil- 
 dren, now in the possession of a family in Bologna. 
 She produced etchings of the Beheading of John the 
 Baptist, the Death of Lucretia, and several master- 
 pieces ; all distinguished by delicacy of touch and by 
 ease and spirit in the execution. Her painting, ' ' Amor 
 Divino," represents a lovely child, nude, seated on a 
 red cloth, holding in its left hand a laurel crown and 
 sceptre, while with the right it points to a quiver and 
 some books lying at its feet. Bolognini says : " It is 
 impossible to conceive any thing more beautiful in form 
 or more exquisite in finish than this lovely child." 
 
 Like Guido's, the influence of Elisabetta Sirani on 
 the progress of art in Bologna was exhibited in the 
 number of scholars who sought instruction from her, 
 or studied her paintings to ground themselves in her 
 system. So illustrious an example as she presented 
 must naturally have contributed greatly to the en- 
 couragement and development of female talent, and 
 many were the women whom. her success, in a greater 
 or less degree, stimulated to exertion. One of Elisa- 
 betta Sirani's pupils was Ginevra Cantofoli of Bolo- 
 gna. She painted history pieces with some reputation. 
 In a church of Bologna is a picture by her The Last 
 Supper. Her best was San Tommaso di Yillanuovo. 
 
 Sirani's sisters, Anna Maria and Barbara, are also 
 mentioned among her scholars, with Lucrezia Scara- 
 
FEMALE ARTISTS OF BOLOGNA. 73 
 
 faglia, Maria Teresa Coriolani, and Veronica Fontana, 
 who carved excellently well in wood, and executed 
 portraits in this manner which were highly praised. 
 Many other names of women are recorded who de- 
 rived their impressions of art, directly or indirectly, 
 from Sirani. 
 
 Teresa Muratori was the daughter of an eminent 
 physician, and born at Bologna in 1662. At an early 
 age she showed a genius for painting and music. She 
 was instructed in designing by Emilio Taruffi, and 
 afterward took lessons from Lorenzo Parmello and 
 Giovanni Gioseffo dal Sole. She painted historical 
 pieces, and several religious ones for churches in Bo- 
 logna. She died at the age of forty-six. 
 
 Orlandi speaks highly of Maria Helena Panzacchi. 
 She was born at Bologna in 1668, was taught design- 
 ing by Taruffi, and became a reputable painter of land- 
 scapes, which she embellished with figures. Her works 
 were correct in design, and the disposition was mark- 
 ed by elegance and taste. Several of them are in 
 private collections at Bologna. 
 
 Bologna boasted also of Ersilia Creti, a pupil of her 
 father Donato, and of Maria Viani, of whose workman- 
 ship a reclining Yenus, in the Dresden gallery, exqui- 
 sitely done, remains to her praise. 
 
 Among others of the school of Bologna, we may 
 mention Maria Dolce, the daughter and pupil of Carlo 
 Dolce, so noted and so admired for the calm dignity 
 of his productions. She copied several of her father's 
 pictures. The name of another painter, Agnes Dolce, 
 may be added ; but we must pass over a host, observ- 
 ing only that the Bolognese was throughout the seven- 
 teenth century the richest in female talent of all the 
 schools of Italy. 
 
 D 
 
74 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 School of the Academicians after Caravaggio. Unidealized Nature. 
 Rude and violent Passions delineated. Dark and stormy Side of 
 Humanity. Dark Coloring and Shadows. The gloomy and pas- 
 sionate expressed in Pictures appeared in the Lives of Artists. The 
 Dagger and Poison-cup common. Aniella di Rosa. The Pupil of 
 Stanzioni. Character of her Painting. Romantic Love and Mar- 
 riage. The happy Home destroyed. The hearth-stone Serpent. 
 Jealousy. The pretended Proof. Phrensy and Murder. Other 
 fair Neapolitans. The Paintress of Messina. The Schools of Bo- 
 logna and Naples embrace the most prominent Italian Paintings. 
 Commencement of Crayon-drawing. Tuscan Ladies of Rank cul- 
 tivating Art. The Rosalba of the Florentine School. Art in the 
 City of the Cassars. The Roman Flower-painter. Engravers. 
 Medallion-cutters. A female Architect. A Roman Sculptress. 
 Women Artists of the Venetian School. At Pavia. The Paint- 
 er's four Daughters. Chiara Varotari. Shares her Brother's La- 
 bors. A skillful Nurse. Her Pupils. Other female Artists of 
 this time. The Schools of Northern Italy. Their Paintresses. 
 Giovanna Fratellini. 
 
 IN contrast to the school established as before men- 
 tioned, certain academicians had set up one grounded 
 on principles promulgated by Michael Angelo da Car- 
 avaggio, wherein the old idealism and conventional 
 forms of beauty were neglected, and the models fur- 
 nished by the works of the early masters were entire- 
 ly slighted, to make room for a simple copying of na- 
 ture, whether beautiful or repulsive, full of grace or 
 rugged and barren of all charms. This new school 
 had been planted in Naples by Caravaggio ; and be- 
 neath that glowing sky arose a number of masters who 
 devoted themselves not only to the reproduction of 
 
ANTELLA DI EOSA. 75 
 
 unidealized nature, but the delineation of human pas- 
 sions in their sternest and most violent demonstra- 
 tions ; preferring, in fact, to depict the darkest and 
 stormiest side of humanity. For this purpose, depth 
 of coloring and dark shadows were employed. These 
 masters were not wanting in talent, nor were their cre- 
 ations without effect and influence ; but they had noth- 
 ing of the pure and holy element which seems like a 
 genuine inspiration in art. The gloomy and passion- 
 ate, expressed in their pictures, too often appeared also 
 in their characters and actions. 
 
 The relations of these Neapolitan artists with those 
 of the Bolognese school were by no means friendly, 
 and rivals settled their disputes as frequently with the 
 dagger and the poison-cup as with the pencil and the 
 palette. Such a state of things was hardly favorable 
 to the development of woman's talent. 
 
 ANIELLA DI ROSA. 
 
 Yet we find one artist of surpassing merit, who, on 
 account of her genius and her tragical fate, was called 
 the Sirani of the school of Naples. This was Amelia 
 di Rosa, niece of the painter Pacecco di Rosa, and pupil 
 of that Massimo Stanzioni who, in common with Cara- 
 vaggio, exercised a species of tyranny over the strug- 
 gles of Neapolitan art, and was one of the leaders of 
 the opposition set up against the artists from Bologna. 
 Aniella painted in his atelier, and he directed her stud- 
 ies with paternal solicitude. She succeeded in giving 
 to her pictures the grace, the soft and transparent color- 
 ing of Pacecco, and united in her heads the elegance 
 of her uncle's style with the correct drawing and able 
 grouping of Stanzioni. Her master set her to color his 
 sketches, and she succeeded so well that he often sold 
 
76 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 their joint productions as his own. When her educa- 
 tion was sufficiently advanced, she desired that her tal- 
 ents should be put to a public test ; and her master in- 
 duced the governors of the church of the Pieta dei 
 Turchini to give her a commission for two paintings 
 which were to adorn the ceiling. 
 
 Amelia produced two paintings so excellent that 
 many declared they were completed by Stanzioni. 
 But Domenici says he has seen several of her original 
 pictures, and that they are "most beautiful produc- 
 tions." u Her master himself," he continues, "avows 
 in his writings that she equals the best masters of our 
 time." One of the pictures represented the Birth of 
 the Virgin ; the other, her Death. The figures are 
 larger than life ; and the boldness of design, the effects 
 of light and shade, and the management of the dra- 
 pery, drew praise from two eminent artists, who said 
 she was an honor to her country, and that many artists 
 might learn from her. She also did several heads of 
 the Madonna in red chalk, pronounced equal in draw- 
 ing to the works of the most renowned artists. 
 
 During the earliest days when Aniella frequented 
 Stanzioni's studio, she became acquainted with Agos- 
 tino Beltramo, a high-spirited Neapolitan youth. He 
 soon became enamored of the beautiful girl, and his 
 frank manners and noble bearing, with the promise 
 his early efforts gave of his becoming a good artist, 
 were a passport to her heart. His love was accepted, 
 and they were betrothed. Stanzioni exerted himself 
 in their behalf, and through his good offices the con- 
 sent of the parents for the marriage of the young peo- 
 ple was obtained. A rare similarity of tastes, and their 
 mutual labors in art, caused all to admire and many 
 to envy the happiness of their union. The serenity 
 
ANIELLA DI KOSA. 77 
 
 of Amelia's disposition tended to insure the peace of 
 their daily life ; and during sixteen years which they 
 passed together both acquired no insignificant artistic 
 fame. The husband excelled in frescoes ; the lady in 
 oil-paintings. The superb painting of San Biagio, in 
 the church of the Sanita, in Naples, is the result of 
 their mutual labors. 
 
 But the cloud was brooding over the happy home 
 which was to burst in a fatal storm. An evil-minded 
 woman, young and beautiful, entered the house of An- 
 iella as a servant. She was in love with Agostino; 
 and, finding all her charms and artifices ineffectual to 
 move him from his fidelity to his noble wife, or even 
 to win his attention, she set herself to work to accom- 
 plish the ruin of this domestic happiness. 
 
 She contrived to insinuate herself into the confi- 
 dence of the man she could not tempt ; and then, drop 
 by drop, with the perfidy and subtle cunning of lago, 
 she succeeded in instilling into his heart the poison of 
 jealousy. By degrees she undermined his faith in the 
 spotless virtue of Aniella. 
 
 The husband grew morose and irritable, and at 
 times manifested the change that had come over him 
 by sudden outbursts of ill-humor. Yainly Aniella 
 strove by unremitting patience and redoubled affection 
 to soothe his wayward moods. She soon perceived 
 that all her happiness must be derived from her art, 
 and from the approbation of her old master, who fre- 
 quently visited her. She painted in her best manner 
 a Holy Family, and presented it to him. " On see- 
 ing," writes Domenici, u with what mastery of draw- 
 ing and perfection of coloring Aniella had completed 
 the painting, and because she had so toiled for him, 
 he was overcome with feeling, and, in a transport of 
 
78 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 affection, clasped her in his arms, exclaiming that she 
 was his best pupil, and that, had he been asked to re- 
 touch the painting, he should not know where to be- 
 gin, for fear of destroying the beautiful coloring." 
 
 The infamous servant was playing the spy through- 
 out this scene, and had called up a servant-lad to sup- 
 port her testimony. On Stanzioni's departure Agos- 
 tino returned. 
 
 "Now," cried this hearth-stone serpent, " now I have 
 proofs to set all doubts at rest proofs I will furnish 
 you with in the presence of your wife." Confronted 
 with her mistress, the vile hireling charged her with 
 guilty embraces, and called the servant-lad to confirm 
 the charge. Amelia, astounded and indignant, dis- 
 dained to defend herself, but stood before her husband 
 mute and motionless, while a flush of pain and indig- 
 nation mantled on her brow. Her silence confirmed 
 Agostino's suspicions ; in his phrensy he drew his 
 sword, and the next moment Amelia lay dead at his 
 feet. Thus closed the career of this noble artist, in 
 1649, in the thirty-sixth year of her age. She was not 
 the only victim to the taste for the horrible and for 
 wild extremes of passion then prevailing in the works 
 of artists, and too common in their personal expe- 
 rience. 
 
 Another fair Neapolitan, who also worked in Rome 
 at portrait-painting, was Angela Beinaschi. The nun, 
 Luisa Copomazza, a landscape-painter and poetess, and 
 the flower-painter, Ciena Ricchi, were of Naples ; with 
 the painter and modeler in wax, Catarina Juliani, call- 
 ed the " ornamento della patria" 
 
 Teresa del Po daughter of a painter, the disciple of 
 Domenichino, and distinguished for oil and miniature 
 painting, and copper engraving came from a family 
 
FEMALE ARTISTS OF OTHER SCHOOLS. 79 
 
 of Palermo. She etched plates in her father's style ; 
 some after Caracci. 
 
 Messina boasted of Anna Maria Ardoino, the daugh- 
 ter of the Princess de Polizzi, accomplished in every 
 branch, including music and poetry, who won great 
 celebrity on account of her splendid attainments in art 
 and literature, and was admitted a member of the 
 Academy of Arcadia in Kome. She died in 1700, at 
 Naples, in the bloom of her life and fame, and it is said 
 her death was occasioned by grief for the loss of a son. 
 
 The two schools of Bologna and Naples may be 
 said to embrace the greater number of the prominent 
 productions of the pencil in Italy during the period of 
 which we have spoken. Other cities enjoyed their pe- 
 culiar distinctions as the seats of different schools of 
 art, but they exhibited more or less the influence of 
 these chief ones. In Florence the ancient home of 
 Italian painting artists of distinction exercised their 
 skill; and the superior cultivation and taste diffused 
 under the auspices of distinguished Tuscan ladies, con- 
 tributed, in no small measure, to the encouragement of 
 female enterprise. While Maria Borghini elevated, 
 by the judgment of her contemporaries, to a seat be- 
 side Yictoria Colonna, and Mary dei Medici, who not 
 only patronized art, but gave it her own personal ef- 
 forts won the meed of admiration, others were not 
 backward in the race for the golden apple of renown. 
 
 Arcangela Paladini, of Pisa, born 1599, already men- 
 tioned as a painter, was also an engraver. Her por- 
 trait, by herself, is in the gallery of artists in Florence. 
 She died at the age of twenty -three. As flower-paint- 
 ers, we hear of Anna Maria Yajani and Isabella Picci- 
 ni ; Giovanna Eedi was a successful pupil of the skill- 
 ful Gabbiani ; and Giovanna Marmochini was no less 
 
80 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 favorably known in art than as a wit and a learned 
 lady. She has been called, for the excellence of her 
 miniatures, the Eosalba of the Florentine school. Nic- 
 cola Grassi, of Genoa, is also called by Lanzi "the ri- 
 val of Eosalba." She painted original compositions 
 and church pictures. 
 
 Eome, meanwhile, maintained her ancient fame. 
 The city of the Caesars had often been the arena where 
 the striving masters of the Bolognese and the oppos- 
 ing schools contended for the establishment of the su- 
 premacy they coveted. Nor was she wanting in wom- 
 en artists of her own, able to do credit to their birth- 
 place. "We may mention the excellent flower-painter, 
 Laura Bernasconi, and the engravers, Isabella and Hi- 
 eronima Parasole, whose name became so celebrated 
 that the husband of the first adopted it, dropping his 
 own. Isabella executed several cuts of plants for an 
 herbal published under the direction of Prince Cesi, 
 of Aquasparta. She also published a book on the 
 methods of working lace and embroidery, illustrated 
 with cuts engraved from her own designs. Hieronima 
 engraved on wood, among other pictures, " The Battle 
 of the Centaurs." 
 
 Beatrice Hamerani worked at medallions, and in 
 1700 elaborated a large medallion of Pope Innocent 
 XII., highly praised by Goethe as "undoubtedly one 
 of the most skillful, expressive, and powerful produc- 
 tions of art which ever came from the hands of a 
 
 woman." 
 
 Add to these the name of the only woman who was 
 ever known to have been a practical architect. This 
 was Plautilla Brizio, who has left monuments of her 
 excellence in that species of art in a small palace be- 
 fore Porta San Pancrazio, and in the chapel of St. 
 
CHIAEA VAROTAKI. 81 
 
 Benedict, in San Luigi dei Frances!. In the latter is 
 a picture painted by her hand. The villa Giraldi, 
 near Rome, is the joint work of this lady and her 
 brother. 
 
 The female sculptor Maria Domenici, who pursued 
 her profession in Kome, was a native of Naples. 
 
 Passing over many of the Italian cities, and attempt- 
 ing no sketch of the peculiarities of the school of 
 Venice, we find there several not insignificant women 
 artists. Paolina Grandi, Elisabetta Lazzarini, and 
 Damina Damini were known as painters, and Dome- 
 nia Luisa Eialto as an engraver on copper. The sis- 
 ters Carlotta and Gabriella Patin enjoyed celebrity for 
 both learning and artistic skill. They lived at Pavia, 
 and were members of the Academy dei Ricovrati. 
 
 The four daughters of the Venetian painter Niccolo 
 Renieri, who practiced the same art, should be men- 
 tioned. Anna, the eldest, became the wife of Antoine 
 Vandyck. 
 
 Chiara Varotari was so highly esteemed by those 
 who knew her, that a niche was assigned her by con- 
 temporaries equal to that of Maria Robusti in the six- 
 teenth century. She was daughter and pupil of Dario 
 Varotari, and the sister of that Alessandro Varotari 
 who became so noted as a painter, under the name 
 Padovanino. Chiara frequently shared in the execu- 
 tion of his works. She was not less praised for her 
 beauty, and her skill as a tender nurse of the sick. 
 Her triumphs over the discomfort of disease were 
 signal, in that field where female prowess so often 
 achieves its deeds of heroism. Such conquests are 
 seldom recorded by the historian's pen; but it is 
 pleasant for once to rescue them from oblivion. 
 Honors were conferred on her by the Grand-Puke of 
 D2 
 
82 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Tuscany, who placed her portrait in his collection. 
 This artist numbered among her pupils Lucia Scali- 
 geri and Caterina Taraboti. Boschini thinks she gave 
 public instruction, like Sirani. She died, full of years, 
 in 1660, ten years after the brother whose labors she 
 had aided. 
 
 Anna Maria Yajani, who engraved in Eome in the 
 middle of this century, executed a part of the plates 
 for the Justinian Gallery. 
 
 Laura Bernasconi imitated the famous flower-paint- 
 er Mario Mizzi, called " Mario dai fiori." With his 
 coloring she had also his defects. 
 
 Maria Yittoria Cassana was the sister of two paint- 
 ers, and painted chiefly devotional pieces, in little. 
 She died 1711. Lucia Casalina, a disciple of Giuseppe 
 dal Sole, turned her attention to portraits. 
 
 Angelica Veronica Airola, a Genoese, studied paint- 
 ing under Domenico Fiasella. She painted religious 
 pictures for the convents and churches of Genoa, and 
 became a nun of the order of St. Bartholomew della 
 Fiavella. Soprani and others mention her. 
 
 Giovanna Garzoni painted flowers and miniature 
 portraits about 1630. At Florence she painted some 
 of the Medici and the nobles. Dying at Eome in 
 1673, she bequeathed her property to the academy of 
 St. Luke, in which there is a marble monument to her 
 memory. 
 
 Two daughters of Caccia called "the Fontane of 
 Monferrato" painted altar and cabinet pieces. One, 
 Francesca, adopted for her symbol a small bird ; Ur- 
 sula, a flower. Ursula founded the convent of the 
 Ursulines, in Moncalvo. Some of her landscapes are 
 decorated with flowers. 
 
 Lanzi and Tiraboschi mention Margerita Gabassi as 
 
GIOVANNA FKATELLINI. 83 
 
 admirable in humorous pieces. She died in 1734, 
 aged seventy-one. 
 
 In the Nuova Guida di Torino, Isabella, dal Pozzo is 
 mentioned as the painter of a picture in the church of 
 San Francesco, at Turin, dated 1666, and representing 
 the Virgin and Babe surrounded with saints. Lanzi 
 bestows high praise on her. In 1676 she became 
 court painter to the Electress Adelaide of Bavaria. 
 
 The schools of Northern Italy recorded the names, 
 too, of Chiara Salmeggia, the painter of Bergamo, and 
 of Maria la Caffa, of Cremona, who worked at the 
 Court of Tyrol ; of Camilla Triumfi ; and Maria Do- 
 menici, a native of Naples, who worked at sculpture 
 in Rome, and died a nun in 1703. 
 
 Lucia Scaligeri, a pupil of Chiara Yarotari, had a 
 daughter Agnes, also a painter, spoken of by Boschini. 
 Caterina Rusca was a native of Ferrara, and known 
 as an engraver and poetess. 
 
 Crayon-drawing seems to have been much in vogue 
 at this time. Giovanna Fratellini, called by Lanzi 
 "an illustrious female artist, from the school of Gab- 
 biani," painted in crayons as well as in oil, miniature 
 and enamel. So famous did she become that, after 
 executing the portraits of Cosmo III. and family a 
 drawing consisting of fourteen figures in a superb 
 apartment, of the richest architecture, remarkable for 
 its judicious disposition and lovely coloring her 
 patron sent her throughout Italy to paint the other 
 princes. "Her pencil is light, delicate, and free," 
 writes Pilkington ; " her carnations are natural, and 
 full of warmth and life, and as she understood per- 
 spective and architecture thoroughly, she made an 
 elegant use of that knowledge, enriching her pictures 
 with magnificent ornaments. Her draperies are gener- 
 
84 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 ally well chosen, full of variety, and remarkable for a 
 noble simplicity. Her works rendered her famous, 
 not only in Italy, but in Europe." Her portrait is in 
 the gallery at Florence ; she painted herself in the act 
 of drawing her son and pupil, Lorenzo, in whom were 
 centred all her hopes. Under her tuition he made 
 rapid progress in art, but died suddenly, at an early 
 age. His mother never recovered from the blow; 
 life and art had alike lost their charms for her, and 
 she speedily followed him to the grave. 
 
FRENCH AND SPANISH SCHOOLS. 85 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Contrast between the Academicians and Naturalists, and between the 
 French and Spanish Schools of Painting. Peculiarities of each. 
 Ladies of Rank in Madrid Pupils of Velasquez. Instruction of 
 the royal Children in Art. The Engraver of Madrid. Every City 
 in the South of Spain boasts a female Artist. Isabella Coello. 
 Others in Granada. In Cordova. The Sculptress of Seville. 
 Luisa Roldan; her Carvings in Wood. The Canons "sold." 
 Invitation to Madrid. Sculptress to the King. Other Women 
 Artists in Spain. In France Woman's Position more prominent 
 than in preceding Age. Corruption of court Manners. Unwor- 
 thy Women in Power. Women in every Department of Litera- 
 ture. Mademoiselle de Scudery. Madame de la Fayette. 
 Madame Dacier. Women in theological Pursuits. Their As- 
 cendency in Art not so great. Miniature and Flower Painters. 
 Engravers. Elizabeth Sophie Cheron. A Leader in Enamel- 
 painting. Her Portraits and History-pieces. Her Merits and 
 Success. Her Translations of the Psalms. Musical and Poetical 
 Talents. Honors lavished on her. Love and Marriage at three- 
 score. Her Generosity to the needy. Verses in her Praise. 
 Historical Tableaux. Madelaine Masson. The Marchioness de 
 Pompadour. 
 
 STRIKING contrasts belong to the history of art in 
 the seventeenth century. A moral, religious, and art- 
 istic contrast existed between the academicians and 
 the naturalists ; and one as remarkable may be noticed 
 between the French and Spanish schools of painting, 
 corresponding, in fact, to the civil struggle between 
 the two nations for European supremacy. In Spain 
 the enthusiasm for art harmonized with the passionate 
 character of the people ; in France, discretion and in- 
 tellectual taste predominated. The sensuous and rude- 
 
86 WOME^ ARTISTS. 
 
 1 j natural in Spanish, art was combined with the warm- 
 est glow of religious feeling. 
 
 Velasquez, a son of Andalusia, had a number of 
 scholars in Madrid among ladies of high rank. Donna 
 Maria de Abarca and the Countess of Vill' Ambrosa 
 were celebrated for their skill in taking likenesses, 
 and were highly praised by the poets. The Duchess 
 of Bejar, Teresa Sarmiento, and Maria de Guadalupe, 
 Duchess of Aveiro also an accomplished linguist and 
 lover of letters had considerable celebrity as paint- 
 ers. The admiration of Philip IY. for art rendered 
 the instruction therein of the royal children and those 
 of the nobility a necessary branch of education. The 
 Duchess of Alba, celebrated for her beauty and in- 
 trigues, gave one of Kaphael's master-pieces as a fee 
 to the family physician, who had cured her of a dan- 
 gerous illness. 
 
 Maria Eugenia de Beer was an engraver in Madrid, 
 and we may find in the choir-books of the cathedral 
 at Tarragona creditable specimens of the talent of the 
 painter Angelica, who painted the illuminations with 
 great neatness and skill. 
 
 Every city in the south of Spain seemed to be able 
 to boast of a female artist. In Valencia lived Dona 
 Isabella Sanchez Coello, the daughter and pupil of 
 "the Spanish Prothogenes" Alonzo Sanchez Coello 
 the first of the great Spanish portrait painters, and 
 the Velasquez of the court of Philip II. Born in 
 1564, she was the playmate of Infants and Infantas, 
 and she acquired distinction both in music and paint- 
 ing. She married Don Francisco de Herrera, Knight 
 of Santiago. Dying in Madrid in 1612, she was bur- 
 ied with her husband's family in the church of San 
 Juan. 
 
LUISA ROLDAN. 87 
 
 Magdalena Gilarte was a noted painter, and worked 
 in her father's style with spirit and skill. Jesualda 
 Sanchez carried on her husband's business after his 
 death, and painted small pictures of the saints for sale. 
 
 In Granada we find Dona Maria Cueva Benavides 
 y Barrados an admired painter, and Anna Heylan an 
 engraver in copper. In Cordova, Dona Francisca Pa- 
 lomino y Velasco, the sister of the painter and art his- 
 torian of the same name. She flourished about the 
 close of the century. 
 
 THE SCULPTRESS OF SEVILLE. 
 
 To the school of Seville, in which Spanish art 
 reached its highest development, belongs a fair artist 
 of repute. Luisa Eoldan was known as an excellent 
 sculptor in wood. She was born in 1656, and profit- 
 ed by her father's instructions in art, acquiring great 
 skill. After her mother's death, she kept both her 
 household and the studio in orderly operation, attend- 
 ing with successful management to the affairs of both, 
 and keeping busy at work both her servants and her 
 father's pupils. 
 
 Koldan was indebted to her for valuable hints. He 
 had carved a statue of St. Ferdinand for the Cathedral, 
 which the canons rejected. Luisa suggested certain 
 anatomical operations with the saw, which were per- 
 fectly successful. The canons took the work for a 
 new one, and were satisfied ; and the saint was peace- 
 fully installed in his chapel. Her chief productions 
 were small figures of the Virgin, or groups of the Ad- 
 oration of the shepherds, etc., and all were designed 
 and executed with delicacy and grace. She sculptured 
 a Magdalen supported by an angel, the statue giving 
 an exquisite idea of an angel's sweetness and protect- 
 
88 WOMEN" ARTISTS. 
 
 ing love. It is placed in the hospital at Cadiz. Her 
 small pieces are full of expression. 
 
 She married Don Luis de los Arcos, and was invited 
 to Madrid in 1692, through Don Cristobal Ontanon, 
 who had presented several of her works to Charles II. 
 The king was pleased, and ordered a statue of St. 
 Michael, life size, for the church of the Escurial. This 
 Luisa executed with great success, and to the admira- 
 tion of the connoisseurs. The work elicited compli- 
 mentary verses from a distinguished poet, and the art- 
 ist was rewarded by the post of sculptress in ordinary 
 to the king, with a salary of a hundred ducats, paid 
 from the day she arrived at court. 
 
 When Charles II. died she had just completed a 
 statue of our Saviour which he had ordered for a con- 
 vent ; its destination was then changed to a nunnery 
 at Sisanto. She died at Madrid in 1704, leaving in 
 the palace treasure a small group, modeled in clay, 
 representing St. Anna teaching the Virgin to read, and 
 attended by angels. Some of her works were placed 
 in the Kecolete Convent, and some in the Chartreuse 
 of Paulan. 
 
 Dona Isabella Carasquilla was a painter, and mar- 
 ried a miniaturist, Juan de Valdes Leal of Cordova. 
 Their daughters Luisa and Maria were highly educa- 
 ted, and painted miniatures. The latter died in 1730, 
 a nun in the Sistercian Convent at Seville. 
 
 Eosalba Salvioni, a painter of celebrity, was the pu- 
 pil of Mesquida. Dona Inez Zarcillo evinced no small 
 taste in drawing and modeling. She was the sister of 
 a sculptor. 
 
 Maria de Loreto Prieto, an artist's daughter, pos- 
 sessed extraordinary talent for painting and engrav- 
 ing. Her father was highly esteemed by Charles III., 
 
WOMEN ARTISTS IN FRANCE. 89 
 
 and had the oversight of all the coins for the purpose 
 of improving the stamps. 
 
 Caterina Querubini, the wife of Preciado, a minia- 
 ture-painter, enjoyed a pension from the Spanish 
 court, and an honored place in the Academy de San 
 Fernando. 
 
 Dona Isabella Farnese, the wife of Philip V., and 
 Angela Perez Caballero, drew exceedingly well, and 
 were members of the Academy in Madrid. 
 
 WOMEN ARTISTS IN FRANCE. 
 
 In France women had taken a position more prom- 
 inent than in the preceding century. Even the gal- 
 lantry prevailing in society, and the corruption of 
 court manners, were promoted by feminine influence. 
 Unworthy women were raised to power, and the his- 
 tory of court favorites from the reign of the knightly 
 Henry IV. to that of the great monarch Louis XIV. 
 forms the most important part of the annals of the 
 empire. 
 
 Women took eminent places in every department 
 of literature ; in the drama Catherine Bernard was the 
 disciple of Kacine, and Mademoiselle de Scudery had 
 many imitators in her poetical romances ; while Mad- 
 ame de la Fayette took the lead in a more modern 
 style of fiction. Madame Dacier became celebrated as 
 " the most learned and eloquent of women," and her 
 example helped to spread a love of knowledge and 
 classical attainment among the French ladies. Even 
 theological pursuits had a Jeanne de la Mothe-Guyon 
 to represent mysticism in conflict with the orthodoxy 
 of the court and the state. 
 
 In art the ascendency of woman was by no means 
 so great. "We may, however, name, as prominent in 
 
90 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 portrait and miniature painting, Antoinette and Mad- 
 elaine Herault ; the latter, in 1660, married Noel Coy- 
 pel. She joined noble virtues to her extraordinary 
 talents. Henriette Stresor and Catherine Perrot may 
 also be mentioned. Catherine Duchemin, a flower- 
 painter, married the famous sculptor Girardon. 
 
 Several women were noted as engravers on copper ; 
 among them Claudine Bonzonnet Stella has been 
 called the first in France, and practiced the art with 
 her two sisters. Jane Frances and Mary Ann Ozanne, 
 the sisters of a French engraver, worked chiefly in 
 engraving sea-side scenes. 
 
 ELIZABETH SOPHIE CHARON. 
 
 But she who occupies the highest place among all 
 the artists of this period is Elizabeth Sophie Cheron. 
 Born in Paris in 1648, she received instruction from 
 her father in miniature and enamel painting, in which 
 she attained such perfection that she may be regard- 
 ed as the leader of the host of French artists who de- 
 voted themselves especially to this branch. At the 
 age of twenty -six she was admitted a member of the 
 Academy, at the proposal of Charles Le Brun. She 
 was received with distinction ; his portrait by her be- 
 ing her reception picture. 
 
 Her merits were a fine tone, exquisite taste and 
 harmony in design, and finely-disposed draperies. She 
 often made portraits from memory. Her portraits 
 were so frequently treated in an allegorical manner 
 they might be called historical ; and her history -pieces 
 were much admired. She designed much after the 
 antique. 
 
 Her father had educated Elizabeth in the strictest 
 principles of Calvinism ; but her mother, Marie Le- 
 
ELIZABETH SOPHIE CHERON. 91 
 
 fevre, a Catholic, persuaded her to become a member 
 of that church, after a year's seclusion in the com- 
 munity of Madame de Miramion. The difference in 
 faith did not impair her affection to her family. She 
 supported her brother Louis for some time in Italy, 
 whither he went to study painting. 
 
 This accomplished artist passed the maturity of life 
 without any of the experiences, with which almost 
 every young girl is familiar, of the tender passion. 
 Her emotions seem to have been altogether spiritual. 
 She translated many of the Psalms into French verse ; 
 and they were published with illustrations by Louis. 
 She played admirably on the lute, and was accustom- 
 ed to practice in the parlor with her nieces and pupils, 
 who performed on different instruments. Louis XIV. 
 gave her a pension of five hundred livres. 
 
 The most eminent scholars of the day were her 
 friends and visitors ; and in conversation she evinced 
 the highest mental cultivation. Her portraits were 
 chiefly painted as presents to her friends, or as orna- 
 ments to her own cabinet. "I have the pleasure," 
 she would say, " of seeing them in their absence." 
 
 In spiritual lyrics she was the precursor of J. B. 
 Kousseau, with whom in warmth of feeling she may 
 be compared; and in narrative poetry she acquired 
 much reputation. The Academy dei Eicovrati, in 
 Padua, received her as a member in 1699, under the 
 name of Erato. She possessed beauty and engaging 
 manners, and to all the honors lavished on her she 
 joined the crowning grace of modesty. 
 
 The attractions of this gifted being did not depart 
 with the beauty of fleeting youth. At the age of six- 
 ty she fascinated the affections of the Sieur Le Hay, a 
 gentleman about her own age, on whom she bestow- 
 
92 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 ed her hand, simply with the generous motive, it was 
 said, of promoting his good fortune. Tradition re- 
 ports that, when they came out of the church after 
 the ceremony had been performed, the bride made a 
 speech to her husband, implying that esteem, not ro- 
 mantic love, had influenced her choice. She is said 
 to have alluded to him, under the name of Damon, in 
 one of her poems. 
 
 As of Madame Dacier, it might be said of this art- 
 ist the traits of a great and manly nature might be 
 discerned in her face. Her features wore an expres- 
 sion of decision and firmness. Her hair, in her por- 
 trait, curls from the top and floats in ringlets. She 
 was remarkable for the modesty and simplicity of her 
 dress. Her large and sympathizing heart made her 
 the protector and benefactor of needy artists, while 
 her social qualities drew around her the brilliant cir- 
 cles that habitually were found at her house, includ- 
 ing many of the most gifted and illustrious of that 
 day. Her death took place in. 1711, at the age of 
 sixty-three, and she was buried at St. Sulpice. She 
 was lamented by Fermelhuis in a canto of praise. 
 The Abbe Bosquillon wrote the following lines to be 
 inscribed under her portrait : 
 
 "Do deux talens exquis 1'assemblage nouveau 
 Rendra toujours Cheron 1'ornement de la Fiance; 
 Eien ne pent de sa plume egaler 1'excellence 
 Que les graces de son pinceau." 
 
 For different gifts renowned, fair Cheron see, 
 
 Ever of France the ornament and pride ; 
 Equaled by none her pen's great works shall be, 
 
 Save when her pencil triumphs at their side. 
 
 Mademoiselle Cheron made many studies from Ea- 
 phael and the Caracci. Among her historical tableaux 
 
MADAME DE POMPADOUR. 93 
 
 are enumerated, " The Flight into Egypt" the Virgin 
 represented in a wearied sleep, with angels guarding 
 the babe; " Cassandra inquiring of a god the doom 
 of Troy ;" " The Annunciation ;" " Christ at the Sep- 
 ulchre" after Zumbo ; with " The Demoiselles de la 
 Croix" her nieces and pupils ; and a grand portrait 
 of the Archbishop of Paris, placed in the Jacobin 
 school of the Eue St. Jacques. 
 
 Maclelaine Masson was the daughter of Anthony 
 Masson, a celebrated engraver, and was borji in Paris, 
 1660. She received instruction from her father, and 
 engraved portraits in his fine style. Among these is 
 the picture of Maria Teresa, Queen of France, and of 
 the Infanta of Spain. 
 
 The Marchioness de Pompadour engraved and ex- 
 cuted small plates after Boucher and others. She en- 
 graved one set of sixty -three prints, after gems by 
 Gay. 
 
94: WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTER YHI. 
 
 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Two different Systems of Painting in the North. The Flemish School 
 represented by Rubens. The Dutch by Rembrandt, Characteris- 
 tics of Rubens' Style. No female Disciples. Unsuited to femi- 
 nine Study? Some "Women Artists of the first Part of the Cen- 
 tury. Features of the Dutch School. A wide Field for female 
 Energy and Industry. Painting de genre. Its Peculiarities. 
 State of Things favorable to female Enterprise. Early Eiforts in 
 Genre-painting. Few Women among Rembrandt's immediate 
 Disciples. Genre-painting becomes adapted to female Talent. 
 "The Dutch Muses." Another Woman Architect. Dutch Wom- 
 en Painters and Engravers. Maria Schalken and others. "The 
 second Schurmann." Margaretta Godewyck. The Painter-poet. 
 Anna Maria Schurmann. Wonderful Genius for Languages. 
 Early Acquirements. Her Scholarship and Position among the 
 learned. A Painter, Sculptor, and Engraver. Called "the Won- 
 der of Creation." Ro} T al and princely Visitors. Journey to Ger- 
 many. Embraces the religious Tenets of Labadie. His Doctrines. 
 Joins his Band. Collects his Followers, and leads them into 
 Friesland. Poverty and Death. Visit of William Penn to her. 
 Her Portrait. Her female Contemporaries in Art. Flower- 
 painting in the Netherlands. Its Pioneers. Maria Van Ooster- 
 wyck. Her Birth and Education. Early Productions. Cele- 
 brated at foreign Courts. Presents from imperial Friends. Enor- 
 mous Prices for her Pictures. Royal Purchasers. The quiet Art- 
 ist at work. The Lover's Visit. The Lover's Trial and Failure. 
 Style of her Painting. Rachel Ruysch. The greatest Flower- 
 painter. Early Instruction. Spread of her Fame. Domestic 
 Cares. Professional Honors. Invitations to Courts. Her Pa- 
 tron, the Elector. Her Works in old Age. Her Character. 
 Rarity of her Paintings. Personal Appearance. 
 
 WHILE the academicians and naturalists of the Ital- 
 ian schools contended through the seventeenth centu- 
 
THE SCHOOL OF RUBENS. 95 
 
 ry, and while in France and Spain the works of art 
 exhibited as great contrasts, modified in each country 
 by national peculiarities, two different systems in the 
 North came into notice. These, as in the time of Yon 
 Eyck, had great influence upon the development of 
 art in other lands besides that where they originated. 
 One was the Flemish school, represented by Eubens ; 
 the other the Dutch, in which Eembrandt was regard- 
 ed as the mighty master. 
 
 The style of Kubens, brilliant, luxuriant, and full of 
 vigorous life, it may be thought would commend itself 
 peculiarly to the attention of women. This school, 
 however, in which the healthy and florid naturalism 
 of Flemish art reached its highest development, seems 
 to have been without any female disciples of note. 
 The passionate and often intensely dramatic character 
 of the works of Eubens and his scholars, and the phys- 
 ical development of his nude figures, were, indeed, 
 scarcely suited to feminine study, though their fullness 
 of life and warmth of coloring afterward won to imi- 
 tation an artist like Madame O'Connell. We may 
 also mention Micheline Wontiers, a portrait painter in 
 the first half of the seventeenth century. An engrav- 
 ing was made from one of her productions by Pontius, 
 who busied himself with the works of Eubens. The 
 name of Catherine Pepyn, too, is found inscribed as a 
 portrait painter in the St. Luke's Society of Artists 
 at Antwerp, about 1655. 
 
 In Holland, on the other hand, the new school of 
 painting owed its marked features to the political and 
 religious revolution that had been the fruit of the re- 
 formed doctrines. This change offered a wide field 
 for the exercise of female energy and genius. With 
 the progress of the new faith kept pace the rapid ad- 
 
96 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 vance of literature; the great questions at issue and the 
 more earnest domestic life of the Hollanders furnish- 
 ing ample materials for thought and description. 
 Painting came under the same influence, and this was 
 evident when the depth and power of feeling in his 
 works marked Eembrandt as one of the greatest mas- 
 ters of all time. 
 
 A novel species of the art was called painting de 
 genre. Herein life was represented in all its rich and 
 varied forms, and the world and real humanity became 
 objects of attention where hitherto only idealized rep- 
 resentations had been tolerated. A new arena was 
 thus opened, in which there was promise of noble 
 achievement, and the rudest and meanest aspects of 
 common life soon appeared capable of being invested 
 with an ideal fascination. The painter de genre, armed 
 with the wand of humor, often succeeded in such 
 attempts, and success led to the adoption of that 
 wonderfully poetical chiar' oscuro in coloring, which, 
 till this period, had never attained the same degree of 
 favor either in the North or the South. 
 
 This state of things was eminently favorable to fe- 
 male enterprise, and we find, accordingly, in a number 
 of fair artists, evidences of the energetic industry and 
 careful minuteness for which the women of Holland 
 have been particularly noted. However, in the earli- 
 est efforts at painting de genre, wherein the Flemish 
 artists stood opposed to the schools of Italy, women 
 took no share. These trial specimens usually consist- 
 ed of some rough piece after nature, such as the 
 drunken boors and rustic women of the elder Breu- 
 ghel, and for a long time the prevailing taste ran on 
 the low, coarse, and fantastic in the models selected. 
 There was more to disgust than to attract cultivated 
 
THE DUTCH SCHOOL. 97 
 
 women in such a fashion, and, notwithstanding their 
 alleged fancy to run into extremes, this will account 
 for the fact that they did not choose to be numbered 
 among those who delighted in such a copying of na- 
 ture. One we hear of, Anna Breughel, seems to have 
 been a kinswoman of a younger painter of that name. 
 
 The earnestness, depth, and intensity given to this 
 species of art by Kembrandt seemed to lie as little 
 within the compass of female fancy, which rather de- 
 lighted in pleasing delineations of more superficial 
 emotion, than in the concentration of the deepest feel- 
 ings of nature. Thus few women were found among 
 the immediate disciples of Eembrandt. 
 
 But as painting de genre accommodated itself more 
 pleasingly to representations of ordinary life and cir- 
 cumstances, and. the delicacy of detail that formed the 
 peculiar charm of this species of art was lavished on 
 attractive phases of character, the school became more 
 and more the nursery of female talent. 
 
 Literature, at this period, experienced a similar 
 change ; and it is interesting to see the same persons 
 pursuing both branches of study. This was the case 
 with the two painters, Tesselschade-Visscher called 
 the " Dutch Muses," on account of their poetry with 
 Elizabeth Hoffmann, and the dramatic poet, Catharina 
 Lescaille ; also with one of whom we shall presently 
 speak, whose fame traveled far beyond the boundaries 
 of her native land. 
 
 Among the older artists of the Dutch school we may 
 mention, in passing, the fruit and flower painter, An- 
 gelica Agnes Pakman ; Madame Steenwyk, a design- 
 er in architecture ; and the portrait-painter, Anna de 
 Bruyn. Anna Tessala was eminent as a skillful carv- 
 er in wood. Concerning Maria Grebber, a pupil of 
 
 E 
 
98 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Savary, Van Mander remarks that she was well skilled 
 both in perspective and in building plans. Maria and 
 Gezina Terburg were sisters of Gerard, and, like him, 
 skillful in genre-painting. 
 
 Gottfried Schalken, who introduced a simpler meth- 
 od, and surprising effects of light, was not more cele- 
 brated than his sister and pupil, Maria, for productions 
 remarkable for delicacy of execution and tender ex- 
 pression. Eglon van der Neer shared his fame with 
 his wife, Adriana Spilberg. She was born in Amster- 
 dam, in 1646, and was taught by her father, an emi- 
 nent painter. She excelled in crayons or pastels, 
 though she often painted in oil. Her portraits were 
 said to be accurate likenesses. They were delicately 
 colored, and executed with neatness and care. She 
 was much patronized at the court of Diisseldorf. 
 
 Caspar Netscher, one of the best and most pleasing 
 masters in this peculiar style, had a disciple in Marga- 
 retta Wulfraat, whose historical paintings a Cleopa- 
 tra and a Semiramis are to be seen in Amsterdam, 
 and who died at a great age early 'in the eighteenth 
 century. 
 
 A still greater interest attaches to artists who also 
 took an active part in the elevation of Dutch litera- 
 ture. Anna and Maria Tesselschade the daughters 
 of Yisscher, already mentioned belonged to this class ; 
 they were also celebrated for their fine etchings on 
 glass. Their literary culture brought them into asso- 
 ciation with the most eminent scholars of that day. 
 
 With them may be ranked Margaretta Godewyck 
 born at Dort, in 1627, and a pupil of Maas who at- 
 tained celebrity both in painting and in her knowledge 
 of the ancient and modern languages. She was called 
 " the second Schurmann," and many praised her as 
 
ANNA MARIA SCHURMANN. 99 
 
 " the lovely flower of art and literature of the Merwe- 
 strom ;" that is, of Dortrecht. She painted landscapes 
 and flowers, and embroidered them with great skill. 
 She died at fifty. 
 
 Catharina Questier, who resided at Amsterdam, was 
 distinguished for painting, copper-engraving, and mod- 
 eling in wax, besides having no small consideration 
 accorded to her poetry. Two of her comedies, that ap- 
 peared in 1655, evince her skill in at least three branch- 
 es; for the drawings and engravings that illustrated 
 the dramas were entirely her own design and execution. 
 
 ANNA MARIA SCHURMANN. 
 
 A higher and more enduring fame than all these 
 could command must be accorded to Anna Maria 
 Schurmann, called by the Dutch poets their Sappho 
 and their Corneille. She was born in November, 1607, 
 in Cologne (Descampes says, at Utrecht), of Flemish 
 parents. Her family, like that of Eubens, was Prot- 
 estant, and her parents fled to Cologne from the per- 
 secutions of Alba, remaining till 1615, when they re- 
 moved to Utrecht. 
 
 Even in early childhood the genius of the young 
 girl displayed its bent. At three years of age she be- 
 gan to read, and at seven could speak Latin. Her 
 mother tried to keep her at the needle, but she loved 
 to amuse herself by cutting out paper pictures ; she 
 also painted flowers and birds untaught. A few 
 years later, her taste for poetry and learning languages 
 developed itself. Learning was her passion ; the arts 
 her recreation. Being allowed to be present at her 
 brothers' Latin lessons, she soon gained surprising pro- 
 ficiency in that tongue. "When she was ten years old, 
 she translated passages from Seneca into French and 
 
100 WOME^J" ARTISTS. 
 
 Flemish. Her love of study soon led to the acquisi- 
 tion of the Greek. To the classics she added, before 
 long, a knowledge of the Oriental languages. She 
 spoke and wrote the Hebrew, Samaritan, Arabic, Chal- 
 daic, Syriac, Ethiopian, Turkish, and Persian ; besides 
 being perfectly well acquainted with the Italian, Span- 
 ish, French, English, and German, and speaking every 
 European tongue with elegance. 
 
 At the age of eleven this Flemish lassie had read 
 the Bible, Seneca, Yirgil, Homer, and ^Eschylus in 
 the original tongues ; at fourteen she composed a 
 Latin ode to the famous Dutch poet Jacob Cats, who 
 became afterward an unsuccessful suitor for her hand. 
 She wrote verses, indeed, in many languages. The 
 knowledge of different tongues greatly aided her theo- 
 logical studies, in which she took the deepest interest 
 from early life. It is said that it was by reading the 
 History of the Martyrs she became imbued with the 
 tendency to religious enthusiasm that so strongly in- 
 fluenced her through life, and led to so strange a 
 career in her latter years. 
 
 The astonishing learning of this remarkable woman 
 and her mastery in the languages, caused her opinions 
 to be often consulted by the most erudite scholars of 
 her time. Her judgment was always received with 
 respect; an honorable place was reserved for her in 
 the lecture-rooms of the University at Utrecht ; and 
 not unfrequently she took part openly in the learned 
 discussions there carried on. The professors of the 
 University of Leyclen had a tribune made, where she 
 could hear without mixing with the audience. "With 
 this wonderful erudition Anna Maria combined a rare 
 degree of cultivation in art. The genius that had 
 shown itself in paper-cutting still gave evidence of 
 
ANNA MARIA SCHURMANN. 101 
 
 strong and resolute activity. She was skilled both in 
 drawing and painting, had a "happy taste in sculp- 
 ture," and exercised her talents in carving in wood 
 and ivory, as well as in modeling in wax. She carved 
 the busts of her mother and brothers in wood. The 
 painter Honthorst valued a single portrait executed 
 by her, at a thousand Dutch florins. In addition, she 
 has left evidence of her no slight accomplishments in 
 copper-engraving; and she engraved with the dia- 
 mond on crystal. Taste in music, and skill in play- 
 ing on several instruments, fill up the list of the 
 amazing variety of endowments bestowed on one of 
 the most gifted of her sex. 
 
 We can not marvel that she was called by her con- 
 temporaries " the wonder of creation." Not only was 
 she, on account of such varied gifts, regarded with 
 admiration, but she was idolized by her acquaintance 
 for personal qualities. She was in the most intimate 
 literary association with men of distinguished learn- 
 ing like Salmatius, Heinsius, Yossius who is said to 
 have taught her Hebrew and others. Princes and 
 princesses came to visit and converse with her, and 
 entered into correspondence with her. 
 
 Gonzagues, Queen of Poland, taking a journey to 
 Utrecht in 1645, went to visit Anna Maria, having 
 heard such wonderful things of her. After a long 
 conversation she gave her flattering tokens of her 
 esteem. 
 
 The Queen of Bohemia, and the Princess Louise, 
 her daughter, often wrote to her. With a modesty 
 that was as rare as her singular endowments, Anna 
 Maria declined all proffered honors, and it was long 
 before she could be persuaded to publish her literary 
 productions. When the distinguished physician, Jo- 
 
102 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 hann van Beverwyk wished to dedicate to her his 
 treatise on the " Advantages of the Female Sex," she 
 sought to withdraw from the intended compliment. 
 In 163 6 she was induced to publish a Latin poem, cel- 
 ebrating the foundation of the University of Utrecht. 
 Her " Apology for the Female Sex," and other works 
 followed this. 
 
 Anna Maria Schurmann resided many years in her 
 native city of Cologne. According to one authority, 
 part of her time was passed in a country house, where 
 she lived in the utmost simplicity, shunning the at- 
 tentions of the persons of celebrity who wished to 
 visit her, and dividing her time between her art and 
 her pen. In 1664 she made a journey to Germany in 
 company with her brother; and there first became 
 acquainted with Labadie, the celebrated French en- 
 thusiast and preacher of new doctrines. He believed 
 that the Supreme Being would deceive man for the 
 purpose of doing good. He taught that new revela- 
 tions were continually made by the Holy Spirit to the 
 human soul ; that the Bible was not a necessary guide ; 
 that observance of the Sabbath was not imperative; 
 that a contemplative life tended to perfection in the 
 character ; and that such a state could be attained by 
 self-denial, self-mortification, and prayer. This man 
 was possessed of singular intellectual powers, and 
 fascinating eloquence. He succeeded in gaining many 
 followers, and the mind of Anna Maria, deep and se- 
 rious to melancholy, and now clouded by grief for the 
 loss of her father and brothers, too readily gave cre- 
 dence to his pretensions. 
 
 Abandoning both pen and pencil, she joined the 
 disciples of Labadie, devoting herself to the studies 
 that favored his theological doctrines. To promote 
 
ANNA MARIA SCHUKMANN. 103 
 
 his success, she published her last work, entitled " Eu- 
 cleria," in 1673, the year before the death of the fa- 
 natic. She attended him, and it is said he died in her 
 arms. 
 
 In this book she deplores her early devotion to lit- 
 erature and art. Other accounts add that she collect- 
 ed the followers of Labadie called Labadists and, 
 continuing to disseminate his tenets, assumed the lead- 
 ership of the band, and conducted them to Yivert in 
 Friesland. She brought over Elizabeth Princess 
 Palatine to these doctrines, and together they open- 
 ed an asylum for the wandering disciples. True to 
 the doctrines she professed, Anna Maria bestowed all 
 her goods to feed the poor, and sank to the grave in 
 poverty, dying in May, 1678, at tho age of seventy- 
 one. 
 
 William Penn mentions, in his "Journey in Ger- 
 many," a conversation he had at Vivert with this won- 
 derful woman in 1677, noticing especially the gravity 
 and solemnity of her tones in discourse. 
 
 Anna Maria Schurmann has left behind her not only 
 the renown of her great learning and artistic culture, 
 truly remarkable in one of either sex, but also a rep- 
 utation for purity of heart and fervor of religious feel- 
 ing, which can not be disturbed by her mistaken 
 though sincere belief, and the fanatical enthusiasm 
 with which she clung to absurd dogmas. In her por- 
 trait her hair is combed back from her forehead, with 
 flowing side locks. The back knot is wreathed with 
 ornaments. A large pointed collar closely encircles 
 her throat. Her features are marked ; her eyes keen 
 and expressive ; her Roman nose is large. 
 
 Among the contemporaries of Anna Maria Schur- 
 mann were the painters Clara Peters, Alida Withoos, 
 
104: WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Susanna von Steen, and Catharine Oostfries ; with the 
 copper-engravers Susanna Yerbruggen, Anna de Ko- 
 her, and Maria de Wilde, who etched a series of fifty 
 pieces gems in her father's collection and published 
 them in 1700 at Amsterdam. 
 
 It was in the seventeenth century that flower-paint- 
 ing was carried to such perfection among the women 
 of the Netherlands. Constantia of Utrecht and An- 
 gelica Pakman may be classed with the pioneers of this 
 beautiful art this truly feminine accomplishment. 
 
 MARIA VAN OOSTERWYCK 
 
 was the first eminent artist in this branch, and the 
 precursor of one superior to her Rachel Euysch 
 who, esteemed in her day as the pride and honor of 
 the Dutch school, was, indeed, worthy of being reck- 
 oned among those of whom the whole world is proud. 
 Though not so great, Maria is justly numbered among 
 the illustrious women of Holland. She was born at 
 Nootdorp, near Delft, about 1630. She received her 
 early instruction from the distinguished flower-paint- 
 er, David Heem. Her father was a preacher of the 
 Reformed religion, and took pains in cultivating his 
 daughter's intellectual powers. He did not fail to no- 
 tice her remarkable inclination to painting, and her 
 dissatisfaction, and even disgust, at the trifles that 
 served to amuse other girls of her age. She always 
 had the crayon in her hand. 
 
 Her early productions gained much praise, and it 
 was not long before she obtained such exceeding skill 
 as to become the rival of her teacher. Admiring con- 
 noisseurs carried her fame abroad, and she became cel- 
 ebrated at foreign courts. Her works were eagerly 
 sought by the first princes of the time, after Louis 
 
MARIA VAN OOSTERWYCK. 105 
 
 XIY. of France had placed one of them in his mag- 
 nificent collection. The Emperor Leopold and the em- 
 press sent for specimens of her powers, for which she re- 
 ceived the portraits of their imperial majesties, set in 
 diamonds, in token of their esteem. Her pieces com- 
 manded enormous prices. William III. of England 
 paid her nine hundred florins for a picture, and the 
 sovereigns of Europe seemed to vie with one another 
 in heaping honors and fame on this gifted woman. 
 The King of Poland purchased three of her pictures 
 for two thousand four hundred florins. These sums 
 were paid her with every mark of respect, as presents 
 from her friends rather than professional remunera- 
 tion. 
 
 In the midst of all these honors Maria led a quiet 
 and peaceful life, undisturbed by excitement or change. 
 She was surrounded by a pleasant circle of friends ; 
 she worked indefatigably, and was always found in 
 her cabinet. To obtain more time to herself, she went 
 to pay a visit to her grandfather at Delft. One day 
 she received a visit from a young man, who announced 
 himself as William van Aelst, and appeared anxious 
 to see some of her works. His admiration of them, 
 was blended with an ardent love for the artist. He 
 at last summoned courage to declare his passion, but 
 Maria replied that she was firmly resolved against mat- 
 rimony. Her lively suitor, she thought, too, was un- 
 suited to her grave and quiet nature. 
 
 Unwilling, however, to crush his hopes too sudden- 
 ly and treat him with unkindness, she annexed a con- 
 dition to her acceptance of her wooer, which she im- 
 agined would effectually deter him from prosecuting 
 his suit, or at least wear out his constancy. She re- 
 quired that he should work ten hours of every day 
 E2 
 
106 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 for a year. The young man promised readily ; but, 
 as she supposed, he had not perseverance enough to 
 keep his word. His studio was opposite Maria's ; she 
 watched him from her window, and failed not to mark 
 on the sash the days he was absent from his labors. 
 
 At the end of the year William came to claim her 
 promise. " You have yourself absolved me from it," 
 was her reply ; and, going to the window, she pointed 
 out to him the record of his idle days. The lover was 
 confounded, and retired disappointed. 
 
 Maria painted flowers with an admirable finish and 
 accuracy, and displayed exquisite taste and art in their 
 selection and grouping ; she had also wonderful skill 
 in copying their fresh tints, and in the harmonious 
 adjustment of different colors. She took a long while 
 and bestowed much labor in finishing her works, and 
 they are consequently rare. 
 
 She died at the age of sixty -three, at the house of 
 her nephew, Jacques von Assendelft, a preacher at 
 Eutdam in Holland. 
 
 RACHEL RUYSCH. 
 
 Eachel Euysch (spelled also Kuisch or Eeutch) trod 
 in the footsteps of Maria van Oosterwyck, and carried 
 flower-painting to a perfection never before attained. 
 Descampes says her flowers and fruit "surpassed 
 nature herself." It is certain that she succeeded in 
 producing the most perfect illusion ; and the tasteful 
 selection of her subject and manner of grouping, dis- 
 position, and contrast, rendered the effect more ex- 
 quisite. 
 
 This illustrious artist was the daughter of a famous 
 anatomist, and was born in Amsterdam, 1664. She 
 received lessons in painting from Wilhelm van Aelst, 
 
EACHEL KUYSCH. 107 
 
 an artist who ranked with De Heem and Huysum 
 among Dutch flower-painters. He and his rivals were 
 soon equaled by the fair scholar, and thenceforward 
 she took nature for her teacher. 
 
 While her fame went abroad with her pictures, 
 Eachel sat and worked in her secluded room ; but she 
 could not hide herself from the arrows of the boy-god. 
 She married Descampes and others say, at the age of 
 thirty a portrait-painter named Julian van Pool, 
 who fell in love, and introduced himself to her. 
 
 She became the mother of ten children. In the 
 midst of domestic cares, and the duties of attending to 
 her offspring, she managed not to neglect the art she 
 loved so much ; yet we are informed that her children 
 were admirably brought up. The toil and study must 
 have been immense which, in spite of the interrup- 
 tions of household employments and the depression 
 of a narrow income, enabled her to attain such excel- 
 lence that her praises were sung by poets and poet- 
 esses, and her fame traveled to every court in Eu- 
 rope. In 1701 the Academical Society of Haye ad- 
 mitted her into membership ; her reception picture 
 was a beautiful piece of roses and other flowers. Her 
 celebrity became so great that, in 1708, the Elector 
 John of the Pfalz sent her a diploma, naming her 
 painter in ordinary to his court, and inviting her to 
 take up her residence in his capital. This prince 
 wrote her another letter, accompanying the gift of a 
 complete toilet set in silver, twenty-eight pieces, to 
 which he added six flambeaux of the same metal. 
 He promised to stand godfather to one of her chil- 
 dren. When she took her son to Diisseldorf, the 
 elector decorated the babe's neck with a red ribbon, 
 to which was attached a magnificent gold medal. 
 
108 . WOMEtf AETISTS. 
 
 In the elector's service she produced a number of 
 pictures, most of them for her Maecenas, who after pay- 
 ing for them always added honorable presents. In 
 1713, on a second visit to Diisseldorf, she was received 
 with the distinction her great talents merited. The 
 elector sent some of her pictures to the Grand-Duke 
 of Tuscany, who admired and placed them among his 
 rich collection of master-pieces. Several of her works 
 were presented to royal personages ; some were treas- 
 ured in the gallery of Diisseldorf, and some excellent 
 pictures were preserved in Munich. 
 
 After the death of her friend and patron, the elector, 
 she returned to Holland, and prosecuted her art with 
 unwearied industry. She mourned his loss as her 
 friend and the generous protector of art; but her 
 works met with as great success, and Flanders and 
 Holland even murmured at their being taken to Ger- 
 many. 
 
 The advance of old age could not obscure her rare 
 gifts; the pictures she executed at eighty were as 
 highly finished as at thirty. To genius of the highest 
 order she united all the virtues that dignify and adorn 
 the female character. Eespected by the great be- 
 loved even by her rivals praised by all who knew 
 her her path in life was strewn with flowers, till at 
 its peaceful close she laid her honors down. She died 
 in 1750, at the age of eighty-six, having been married 
 fifty years and five years a widow. 
 
 Her works are rarely seen, from the difficulty of 
 inducing possessors in Holland to part with them. 
 At Amsterdam there are four beautiful pieces. Their 
 chief merits are surprising vigor and a delicate finish, 
 with coloring true to nature. Flowers, fruits, and in- 
 sects seem full of fresh life. 
 
RACHEL RUYSCH. 109 
 
 Kachel's style combined a softness, lightness, and 
 delicacy of touch with a certain grandeur of disposi- 
 tion and powerful effect, which caused the universal 
 recognition of a manly spirit and nobility of feeling in 
 her works. In her portrait her hair is short, with 
 low-necked dress and beads round the throat. The 
 features of the artist, large and strongly marked, bear 
 the same brave, open character that spoke in the group- 
 ing and arrangement of her flowers in the freedom 
 that marked her compositions and was blended with 
 their surprising lightness and grace. In the depth of 
 coloring a delicate poetic fragrance seemed to be in- 
 fused. 
 
110 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Unfavorable Circumstances for Painting in Germany. Effects of the 
 Thirty Years' War. The national Love of Art shown by the Signs 
 of Life manifested. Influence of the Reformation. Inferiority of 
 German Art in this Century. Ladies of Rank in Literature. A 
 female Astronomer. The Fame of Schurmann awakens Emula- 
 tion. Distinguished Women. Commencement of poetic Orders. 
 Zesen, the Patron of the Sex. Women who cultivated Art. 
 Paintresses of Nuremberg. Barbara Helena Lange. Flower- 
 painters and Engravers. Modeling in Wax. Women Artists in 
 Augsburg. In Munich. In Hamburg. The Princess Hollandina. 
 Her Paintings. Maria Sibylla Merian. Early Fondness for 
 Insects. Maternal Opposition. Her Marriage. Publication of 
 her first Work. Joins the Labadists. Returns to the Butter- 
 flies. Curiosity to see American Insects. Voyage to Surinam. 
 Story of the Lantern-flies. Return to Holland. Her Works pub- 
 lished. Republication in Paris afterward. Her Daughters. 
 Her personal Appearance. The Danish Women Artists. Anna 
 Crabbe. King's Daughters. The Taste in Art in Denmark and 
 England governed by that of foreign Nations. Female Artists in 
 England. The Poetesses most prominent. Miniaturists. Por- 
 trait-painters. Etchers. Lady Connoisseurs. The Dwarf's 
 Daughter. Anna Carlisle. Mary Beale. Pupil of Sir Peter 
 Lely. Character of her Works. Rumor of Lely's Attachment to 
 her. Poems in her Praise. Mr. Beale's Note-books. Anne Kil- 
 legrew. Her Portraits of the Royal Family. History and still-life 
 Pieces. Her Portrait by Lely. Her Character. Dry den's Ode 
 to her Memory. Her Poems published. Mademoiselle Rosee. 
 The Artist in Silk. Wonderful Effects. Her Works Curiosities. 
 The Artist of the Scissors. Her singular imitative Powers. A 
 Copyist of old Paintings. Her Cuttings. Views of all kinds done 
 with the Scissors. Royal and imperial Visitors. Her Trophy for 
 the Emperor Leopold. Poems in her Praise. The Swiss Paint- 
 ress Anna Wasser. Her Education and Works. Commissions 
 
ART IN GERMANY. Ill 
 
 from Courts. Her Father's Avarice. Sojourn at a Court. Re- 
 turn home. Fatal Accident. Her literary Accomplishments. 
 
 WHILE in the Netherlands, under the influence of 
 the national elevation, art grew into a school of pe- 
 culiar nationality, much less favorable circumstances 
 existed in Germany. It may be said, indeed, that 
 none less favorable could be found in any country. 
 It was not merely that the land had been wasted by 
 the Thirty Years' War, for art and knowledge have 
 been known to bud and bloom amid a severe national 
 struggle. This contest, however, was one hostile to 
 every generous impulse and lofty aspiration, and tend- 
 ed to crush the noble energies that are called forth in 
 other conflicts. It was an internecine and sordid 
 strife; Germans were arrayed against Germans, and 
 hordes of foreign robbers were encouraged to plunder 
 the country desolated by her own children. In the 
 reign of mean and base passions, there was no soil 
 where such flowers might bloom as then made beauti- 
 ful the Netherlands. 
 
 There was wanting, also, such a central point as was 
 afforded in France and Spain by the courts of Ver- 
 sailles and Madrid. All things revolved in a narrow 
 and sordid sphere of individual interest. That Ger- 
 many, in spite of this disastrous and gloomy condition, 
 should have produced artists, and that even women, 
 with self-sacrificing zeal should have manifested their 
 predilection for the calling, is a proof of the deep love 
 for art implanted in the heart of the nation, showing 
 itself in brilliant flashes during the sixteenth century, 
 and in the midst of troubles not entirely extinguished. 
 The Eeformation, while it had inspired Germany with 
 the spirit of a new epoch, at first assumed a position 
 hostile to the arts that had contributed to embellish 
 
112 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 the old faith. For three hundred years, by open force, 
 blind fury, and cold contempt, this misapprehension 
 of the true scope of art threatened to destroy what 
 preceding ages had left of excellence; nor did the 
 struggle terminate till the nineteenth century. 
 
 Signs of life in art had been first perceived in Ger- 
 many toward the beginning of the thirteenth century ; 
 and there had been progressive stages of improvement. 
 The stiffness and seriousness prescribed by tradition 
 were replaced by softer execution and an easier flow 
 of outline. Flowing drapery and grace marked the 
 earliest attempts to express the artist's own feelings in 
 his works, and a subjective principle was allowed in 
 paintings. 
 
 In the revival of art toward the end of the fifteenth 
 century the sacred subjects of earlier ages had been 
 much chosen. Afterward, the artist's own mind and 
 emotions came forth in self-productive energy ; and, 
 at a later period, rose into favor the accurate delinea- 
 tions of nature's forms. 
 
 The inferiority of Germany in an artistic view, in 
 the seventeenth century, is undeniable ; but many were 
 found who longed after the excellence of which other 
 lands could boast. "Women there were in abundance 
 who cultivated ornamental literature; noble ladies 
 and princesses patronized poets and courted the muses. 
 Henrietta of Orange, the consort of the great Elector, 
 was one of several royal dames yet remembered in 
 their sacred songs. The lower orders could boast 
 their cultivated women ; and the name of Maria Cunitz 
 deserves mention as learned in the science of astron- 
 omy. 
 
 The fame of Anna Memorata, Fulvia Morata, and 
 Anna Maria Schurmann meanwhile filled the German 
 
GERMAN FEMALE ARTISTS. 113 
 
 women with emulative desire to inscribe their names 
 beside those accomplished persons. Gertrude Moller 
 was learned in the languages, and Sibylla Schwarz in 
 poetry. Even Eist, who excluded women from his 
 literary society, corresponded with the poetess Maria 
 Commer. 
 
 This was the beginning of honorary poetic orders, 
 and women were not excluded from these, especially 
 from those established by Zesen. He was the patron 
 and encourager of female genius and enterprise ; his 
 pen was dedicated to the service of the sex, and his 
 praises were reciprocated by the grateful fair. In his 
 " Lustinne" he sings of the lady poets of his day. 
 
 The female artists of that time seemed, indeed, to 
 lack such generous appreciation ; and it may be that 
 the enthusiastic eulogies lavished by poets on each 
 other had a selfish aim. Yet the period was not with- 
 out a goodly number of women who cultivated art, and 
 it is not improbable that the success of the poetesses 
 had some effect in stimulating their zeal. The example 
 of the illustrious Schurmann, who wore the double 
 wreath of both branches of study, was before their 
 eyes; and the Dutch school had much influence in 
 forming tastes in Germany. 
 
 The love of exercising creative power naturally de- 
 veloped itself in various ways. Nuremberg, the seat 
 of the Pegnitzschafer order of bards ; Hamburg, the 
 residence of the chivalrous Zesen; Saxony, where 
 flourished many fair devotees to literature were not 
 abandoned by the spirit of art. In the first-mentioned 
 city we hear of two paintresses descended from fami- 
 lies celebrated for artistic excellence : Susannah Maria 
 von Sandrart, who also did etching in copper; and 
 Esther Juvenel, who drew plans for architecture. To 
 
WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 these may be added the name of Barbara Helena 
 Lange, who earned celebrity by engraving on copper, 
 and carving figures in ivory and alabaster. She was 
 admitted to the Pegnitz order, on account of her po- 
 etical talent, in 1679, her poetical name being entered 
 as Erone. In 1686 she married one Kopsch, and 
 with him removed to Berlin, and afterward to Amster- 
 dam. 
 
 The names of Maria Clara Eimart and Magdalena 
 Fiirst may here be mentioned as flower-painters ; that 
 of Helen Preisler as an engraver on copper ; and 
 Joanna Sabina Preu as both an engraver and modeler 
 in wax. All these obtained no insignificant reputa- 
 tion. 
 
 In Nuremberg also lived, in 1684, Anna Maria 
 Pfriindt, born in Lyons. She modeled portraits in 
 wax, some of which were those of persons of high 
 rank, and, adorned with costly drapery and precious 
 stones, gained a wide-spread reputation for the artist. 
 
 Augsburgh was also rich in evidences of woman's 
 artistic taste. Susannah Fischer and Johanna Sibylla 
 Kiisel excelled in painting, while her younger sisters, 
 Christina and Magdalena Kiisel, with Maria Wieslatin, 
 engraved in copper. Others surpassed the Nurem- 
 bergers in fine carving. 
 
 In Regensburgh lived Anna Catharina Fischer, a 
 flower and portrait painter; in Munich, Isabella del 
 Pozzo was appointed court painter by the Electress 
 Adelaide, and the miniature-painter Maria Rieger was 
 employed very frequently by princely personages. 
 Placida Lamme distinguished herself about the same 
 time by painting miniatures and carving pictures, 
 with which she occupied her time in the Bavarian 
 cloister of Hohenwart. 
 
PRINCESS HOLLANDISTA. 115 
 
 In Hamburg, Mariana Yan der Stoop and Diana 
 Glauber were painters by profession, and in Saxony 
 we find a skillful portrait-painter in Margaretta Ras- 
 trum, who pursued her art in Leipzig. The above- 
 mentioned Anna Catharina Fischer lived a long time 
 in Halle, with her husband, a painter named Block. 
 Toward the end of this century we hear of Madame 
 Eavemann, who executed a beautiful medal an ex- 
 quisite specimen of cutting for Augustus the Second. 
 
 THE PRINCESS HOLLANDINA. 
 
 Casting a glance over western Germany, we find 
 the artistic poverty of the land redeemed by a princess 
 who loved the liberal arts Louise Hollandina, of the 
 Pfalz. She was the daughter of the unhappy Fried- 
 rich V., and the sister of the Princess Elizabeth, whose 
 chief celebrity arose from her veneration for the phi- 
 losopher Descartes ; also of the Prince Ruprecht, noted 
 in art history for his drawings and his leaves in the 
 black art. Hollandina, with her sister Sophia, re- 
 ceived instruction in painting from the famous Gerard 
 Honthorst, and painted large historical pictures in the 
 style of that master, of which at the present time very 
 little is known. Two of Hollandina's paintings were 
 added to the collection of her uncle, King Charles 
 one representing Tobias and the Angel ; the other, a 
 falconer. An altar-piece by her hand adorns a church 
 in Paris. Lovelace, in his poetry, speaks highly of 
 the abilities of this princess. 
 
 Her family originated from the same place that gave 
 birth to Anna Maria Schurmann the city of Cologne 
 where that famed artist obtained her early educa- 
 tion. 
 
 We must not omit to mention Frankfort-on-the- 
 
116 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Main, where, in the middle of the seventeenth centu- 
 ry, lived one of the most celebrated women of whom 
 Germany then could boast. This was 
 
 MARIA SIBYLLA MERIAN. 
 
 She was the daughter of Matthew Merian, the well- 
 known geographer and engraver, and born at Frank- 
 fort-on-the-Main in 1647. Her father published a top- 
 ographical work in Germany, in thirty-one folio vol- 
 umes. Her mother was the daughter of Theodore de 
 Bry, an engraver of repute. 
 
 A remarkable circumstance, and one contrary to the 
 usual experience of extraordinary persons, was, that 
 Sibylla devoted herself to the vocation of the artist in 
 opposition to her mother's wishes and in the face of 
 great difficulties. In this respect she differed from 
 most other women artists ; for they, as a rule, were 
 led to the study by parental example or domestic 
 training. 
 
 From the early childhood of this singular girl she 
 manifested a persevering spirit of research in natural 
 history, with a fondness for examining specimens of 
 vegetable and animal life. It is possible that this nat- 
 ural predilection was owing to one of those accidents 
 that so often determine the course and bent of human 
 intellect. Her mother, shortly before her birth, it is 
 said, took a fancy to make a collection of curious 
 stones, muscles, and different sorts of caterpillars. 
 However this may be, it is certain that the child, at a 
 very early age, showed the same taste, and no mater- 
 nal reproaches or punishment could keep her from in- 
 dulging the strange fancy. She would, however, con- 
 ceal her treasures. At last her step-father, the painter 
 Jacob Marrel, having persuaded the mother to con- 
 
MARIA SIBYLLA MEKIAN. H7 
 
 sent, arranged it so that the girl took lessons of the 
 famous flower-painter, Abraham Mignon. 
 
 In the year 1665, at eighteen, she married John 
 Andrew Graf, a painter and designer in architecture. 
 The marriage was not a happy one, but she lived with 
 Graf nearly twenty years in Nuremberg, in a lonely 
 and secluded manner, devoted solely to her art, as she 
 herself says in the preface to one of her* published 
 works, giving up intercourse with society, and beguil- 
 ing her time by the examination of the various species 
 of insects, of which she made drawings, and by the 
 study of their transformations. 
 
 She painted her specimens first on parchment, and 
 many of those pictures were distributed among ama- 
 teurs. Encouraged by them, she published, in 1679, 
 a work entitled " The Wonderful Transformations of 
 Caterpillars," a quarto volume, with copper engrav- 
 ings, executed by herself after her own drawings. 
 Another volume appeared in 1684. 
 
 The affairs of Graf having become embarrassed, and 
 his conduct being much censured, he was compelled 
 to leave his family and go out of the country. After 
 this separation, Sibylla never assumed her husband's 
 name in any of her publications, but issued them under 
 her maiden name. , About 1684 she went to Frank- 
 fort, and prepared for a journey to "West Friesland 
 with her mother and daughters. There she became 
 possessed with the religious enthusiasm which had 
 driven so many women into strange doings, and join- 
 ed the sect of the Labadists, taking up her abode at 
 the Castle Bosch. 
 
 Sibylla did not yield her energies, however, entirely 
 to the dominion of this kind of phrensy ; her old hab- 
 its of study and research followed her. Butterflies 
 
118 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 and worms again occupied her attention, and she soon 
 took a deep interest in all the collections of animals 
 from the East and West Indies which she discovered 
 were within her reach. 
 
 Among those persons whose collections were most 
 admired by her was Fridericus Kuysch, a doctor of 
 medicine and professor of botany, and the father of 
 the Rachel* Kuysch already noticed. It is not difficult 
 to believe that the example and conversation of a 
 woman so gifted and so devoted to study as Madame 
 Merian had a decisive influence upon the character of 
 the youthful Eachel. 
 
 Our heroic and industrious heroine was delighted at 
 the opportunity of examining such interesting collec- 
 tions ; for, besides the pleasure her investigations in 
 natural history afforded her,, she was stimulated by an 
 inextinguishable desire to know all that could be learn- 
 ed about that department of the animal kingdom. At 
 length, anxious to see the metamorphoses and food of 
 American insects, she determined to undertake that 
 laborious and expensive journey to Surinam which she 
 accomplished in June, 1699. The States of Holland 
 assisted her with the means of travel. Her journey 
 gave occasion to the following lines by a French poet : 
 
 " Sibylla a Surinam va chercher la nature, 
 Avec 1'esprit d'un Sage, et le cceur d'un Heros." 
 
 The place of her destination was Dutch Guiana, oft- 
 en called Surinam, from a river of that name, on which 
 the capital, Paramaribo, is situated. It is said that, 
 one day during her residence there, the Indians brought 
 Madame Merian a number of living lantern -flies, which 
 she put into a box ; but they made so much noise at 
 night, that she rose from her bed and opened their 
 prison. The multitude of fiery flames issuing from 
 
MAEIA SIBYLLA MERIAN. 119 
 
 the box so terrified her that she immediately dropped 
 it on the ground. Hence came marvelous stories of 
 the strong light emitted by that insect. 
 
 She remained in America nearly two years, till the 
 summer of 1701, notwithstanding the unfavorable ef- 
 fect of the climate on her health, and the difficulties 
 thus encountered in the prosecution of her studies. 
 Though strong of will, she could not long bear up 
 against such an enemy, and was obliged to return 
 much sooner than suited her inclinations. 
 
 In September she was again in Holland, where her 
 splendid paintings, on parchment, of American insects, 
 excited the greatest admiration among the connois- 
 seurs. They pressed her to publish a work that would 
 open a world of vegetables and animals hitherto un- 
 known ; and, in spite of the great expense, she resolved 
 at last, without expectation of a return for her outlay, 
 to engrave her pictures for publication. The reward 
 of her labors was to be in the sale of successive edi- 
 tions. This work was entitled " Metamorphosis Insec- 
 torum Surinamensium, etc. The text drawn up by 
 Gaspar Commelin, from the MSS. of the author." 
 
 In 1771 a collection of Madame Merian's works was 
 published in Paris, translated into French ; and to this 
 day are to be seen engravings, nearly of the size of the 
 original, of the various paintings made by this enthu- 
 siastic woman of objects that struck her fancy cater- 
 pillars, butterflies, spiders, snakes, and various kinds 
 of animals and plants executed with all the luxury 
 of brilliant coloring, and illustrated by choice poetry. 
 
 Her great work was entitled " History of the In- 
 sects of Europe, drawn from Nature, and explained, 
 by Maria Sibylla Merian." It included a treatise on 
 the generation and metamorphoses of insects, and the 
 
120 WOME2T AKTISTS. 
 
 plants on which they feed. Her pictures were not 
 only executed with fidelity, but each insect appeared 
 in its first state with the most pleasing accompani- 
 ments. With those metamorphosed from the chrysa- 
 lis or nymph to the fly or butterfly, were presented the 
 plants and flowers they loved, all correctly and taste- 
 fully delineated. 
 
 Even after the appearance of her work, in 1705, the 
 persevering artist continued her studies in natural 
 history, in which she was joined by both her daugh- 
 ters, whom she had educated to pursuits of art. Do- 
 rothea, the youngest, had accompanied her to Surinam, 
 while the eldest, Joanna Maria Helena, came afterward 
 with her husband, a merchant of- Amsterdam, to assist 
 her mother in collecting and painting specimens. It 
 was the mother's intention to publish the pictures 
 made by her daughters in an appendix to her own 
 collected works ; but her death, which occurred in 
 January, 1717, prevented this, and the daughters af- 
 terward published the results of their labors in a 
 separate volume. 
 
 This extraordinary woman, whose labors contribu- 
 ted so much to the improvement and embellishment 
 of the natural history of insects, was little favored by 
 gifts of beauty or personal grace. Her portrait shows 
 hard and heavy-lined features. A curious head-dress, 
 made of folds of black stuff, rises high above the head, 
 and inclines a little to the left. Short, light curls 
 appear above a cambric ruffle, finishing a half-low cor- 
 sage. She is undoubtedly entitled to a place among 
 great artists. 
 
 The history of Madame Merian rounds off that of 
 German female artists belonging to the seventeenth 
 century with an exhibition of more than ordinary in- 
 terest. 
 
DANISH AND ENGLISH WOMEN. 121 
 
 THE DANISH WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 A glimpse may here be had of the artists of Den- 
 mark and England. Anna Crabbe was a painter by 
 profession in Copenhagen before the year 1618. She 
 painted a series of portraits of Danish princes, to which 
 she added a poetical description of each. The daugh- 
 ter of King Christian IY., Eleonora Christina, who mar- 
 ried the minister Ulefeld, was not only celebrated for 
 her beauty and intellectual gifts, but for skill in va- 
 rious branches of art engraving, modeling in wax, 
 and miniature-painting. Her daughter Helena Chris- 
 tina possessed like talents. 
 
 Toward the close of the century, Sophie Hedwig, 
 the daughter of King Christian V., became noted as 
 an artist, gaining much reputation by her perform- 
 ances in portrait, landscape, and flower painting. 
 
 Neither in Denmark nor in England was any spe- 
 cial direction given to art by the national character ; 
 on the contrary, in both these countries, the prevail- 
 ing taste was governed by that of foreign nations 
 as the Dutch and German. 
 
 ENGLISH FEMALE ARTISTS. 
 
 In England there were not many women artists, 
 although in literature the sex was not without its 
 share of laurels, and in dramatic poetry and prose 
 romance women contended for appreciation with mas- 
 culine writers. The poetess Joanna Weston was a 
 great admirer of Anna Maria Schurmann, and took 
 her for a model; but there were no painters who 
 could be compared in merit to the women who culti- 
 vated poetry. 
 
 As miniature-painters, Susannah Penelope Gibson 
 F 
 
122 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 may be mentioned ; also Penelope Cleyn. The latter 
 was the daughter of a German painter, and her sisters 
 Magdalen and Sarah were also devoted to the art. 
 They painted the portrait of Eichard Cromwell's 
 daughter. 
 
 Mary More obtained some distinction as a portrait- 
 painter. It was in England that the Princess Hol- 
 landina, before mentioned, took lessons in painting, 
 with her sister Sophie, from Gerard Honthorst. 
 
 In the noble art of etching Anna and Susannah 
 Lister were regarded as having much skill ; they 
 illustrated a work on natural history by their father, 
 in the manner of Machine Merian, by their artistic 
 efforts. 
 
 A lady connoisseur and engraver of much taste was 
 the Countess of Carlisle. She perhaps set the fashion 
 afterward followed by so many fair dilettanti, who 
 exercised so much influence in England during the 
 succeeding century. 
 
 Susan Penelope Rose, according to Lord Orford, 
 was the daughter of Eichard Gibson the Dwarf. She 
 married a jeweler, and became noted for painting 
 portraits in water colors with great freedom. Her 
 miniatures were larger than usual. She died at forty- 
 eight in 1700. 
 
 A contemporary of Yandyck was Mrs. Anna Car- 
 lisle, who died about 1680. She was celebrated for 
 her copies of the Italian masters. Charles I. esteemed 
 her highly. She once shared with Yandyck a present 
 from their royal patron, of ultramarine ; it is said to 
 have cost the king five hundred pounds. This renders 
 it probable that she painted in oil ; for the quantity 
 was too large for use in miniatures. 
 
 One of her works represents herself teaching a lady 
 
MARY BE ALE. 123 
 
 to paint. This artist must not be confounded with 
 the Countess of Carlisle, who was distinguished for 
 her beautiful engravings of the works of Salvator 
 Eosa, Guido, etc. 
 
 MARY BEALE, 
 
 the daughter of Mr. Craddock, a clergyman, was 
 born at Suffolk about 1632. She received some in- 
 struction from Walker, but was a favorite pupil of 
 Sir Peter Lely. She painted in oil, water-colors, and 
 crayons. She acquired much of the Italian style by 
 copying old pictures from Lely's and the royal col- 
 lection. She copied some of the portraits of Yandyck. 
 Her works were remarkable for vigor of drawing and 
 fresh coloring, with great purity and sweetness. The 
 artist was an estimable and amiable woman; was 
 highly respected, and mingled in the society of the 
 noble and the learned. Her pencil was employed by 
 many personages of distinction. Her husband was an 
 inferior painter. 
 
 It was rumored that Sir Peter Lely was romantically 
 attached to his fair pupil ; but his love could not have 
 met with return, for he is known to have been re- 
 served in communicating to her the resources of his 
 pencil. He refused to intrust to her one of the im- 
 portant secrets of his art. 
 
 Several poems in praise of Mrs. Beale were pub- 
 lished ; one in particular is remembered, by Dr. Wood- 
 fall, in which she is celebrated under the name of 
 " Belasia." Her husband, Charles Beale, had the cu- 
 rious practice of noting in small almanac pocket-books 
 almost daily accounts of whatever related to his wife, 
 her pictures, or himself. He practiced chemistry for 
 the preparation of colors. He bequeathed thirty of 
 
124 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 the almanacs, filled with his notes, and records of the 
 praises lavished on his wife's pictures, to a colorman 
 named Carter. 
 
 Walpole says Mrs. Beale's portraits were numerous. 
 She painted one of Otway, the poet. The Archbishop 
 Tillotson was her patron, and many of the clergy sat 
 to her. The archbishop's portrait is the first of an ec- 
 clesiastic who, quitting the coif of silk, is delineated in 
 a brown wig. 
 
 Some have said that she persuaded her friends to 
 sit to Lely, that she might learn his method of color- 
 ing. There is no doubt that she rose to the first rank 
 in her profession. One of her sons became a painter. 
 She died at Pall Mall in 1697, aged sixty-five. 
 
 ANNE KILLEGREW 
 
 "A grace for beauty, and a muse for wit," as writes 
 one of her admirers was the daughter of Henry Kil- 
 legrew, descended of a family remarkable for loyalty, 
 accomplishments, and talent. She proved one of its 
 brightest ornaments. She was born in London, and 
 at a very early age discovered a remarkable genius. 
 She became celebrated both in painting and poetry. 
 One of her portraits was of the Duke of York, after- 
 ward James II. ; others, of Mary of Modena and the 
 Duchess of York, to whom she was maid of honor. 
 These pieces were highly praised by Dryden. She 
 produced, also, several history -pieces, and pictures of 
 still life. Becket did her miniature in mezzotint, aft- 
 er her own painting ; it was prefixed to the published 
 edition of her poems. The painting was in the style 
 of Sir Peter Lely, which she imitated with great suc- 
 cess. Her portrait, taken by Lely, has a pleasing ex- 
 pression, though the air is slightly prim. The dress is 
 
ANNE KILLEGREW. 125 
 
 low-necked, with beads, and a mantle is fastened at the 
 breast with a brooch. Curls cluster round the face ; 
 the back hair is loose and flowing. 
 
 Though called " mistress," after the fashion of the 
 time, Anne was never married. She was a woman of 
 unblemished character and exemplary piety. Death 
 cut short her promising career, by small-pox, in 1685 
 as Wood says, "to the unspeakable reluctancy of her 
 relations" when she was but twenty-five years of 
 age. She was buried in Savoy Chapel, where a mon- 
 ument is fixed in the wall, bearing a Latin inscription 
 by her father, setting forth her accomplishments, vir- 
 tue, and piety. 
 
 Dry den's ode to her memory was called by Dr. John- 
 son "the noblest our language has produced." An- 
 other critic terms it " a harmonious hyperbole, com- 
 posed of the fall of Adam, Arethusa, Yestal virgins, 
 Diana, Cupid, Noah's ark, the Pleiades, the fall of Je- 
 hoshaphat, and the last assizes." After lauding her 
 poetic excellence, Dryden says : 
 
 "H,er pencil drew whate'er her soul designed; 
 And oft the happy draft surpassed the image of her mind." 
 
 And of her portrait of James II. : 
 
 "For, not content to express his outward part, 
 Her hand called out the image of his heart ; 
 His warlike mind his soul devoid of fear 
 His high-designing thoughts were figured there." 
 
 Notwithstanding such flattery, Anthony Wood says, 
 " There is nothing spoken of her which she was not 
 equal to, if not superior ;" and adds, " If there had not 
 been more true history in her praises than compliment, 
 her father never would Lave suffered them to pass the 
 press." 
 
 Her poems appeared after her death in a thin quarto 
 
126 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 Volume, prefaced by the ode and the Latin epitaph. 
 Among her history-pieces were " St. John in the Wil- 
 derness," " Herodias with the Head of John the Bap- 
 tist," and " Two of Diana's Nymphs." The melodious 
 eulogizer of her graces and gifts remarks of the queen's 
 portrait : 
 
 " Our phoenix queen was portrayed too, so bright, 
 Beauty alone could beauty take so right ; 
 Before, a train of heroines was seen, 
 In beauty foremost, as in rank a queen." 
 
 THE AKTIST IN SILK. 
 
 Mademoiselle Kosee, born in Ley den in 1632, de- 
 serves a place among eminent artists for the singulari- 
 ty of her talents. Instead of using colors, with oil or 
 gum, she used silk for the delicate shading. It can 
 hardly be understood how she managed to apply the 
 fibres, and to imitate the flesh-tints, blending and mel- 
 lowing them so admirably. She thus painted por- 
 traits, as well as landscapes and architecture. Michel 
 Carre, who saw one of her portraits, says, "It can 
 scarcely be believed it is not done by the pencil." 
 One of her pieces brought five hundred florins. It 
 represented the decayed trunk of a tree, covered with 
 moss and leaves. On the top a bird has made her 
 nest. The shading and the sky in the distance left 
 nothing to be desired for coloring and truthful effect. 
 The Grand -Duke of Tuscany purchased one of her 
 finest pieces, which is yet preserved among the curi- 
 osities of his collection. She was never married, and 
 died at the age of fifty, in 1682. 
 
 THE ARTIST OF THE SCISSORS. 
 
 Joanna Koerten Block is regarded by the Dutch as 
 one of their most remarkable female artists. She was 
 
JOANNA KOEBTEN BLOCK. 127 
 
 born in Amsterdam in 1650, and manifested a taste 
 for the fine arts in her childhood. She learned music 
 and embroidery, and how to model fruits and figures ; 
 she also understood coloring, and engraved with a 
 diamond on crystal and glass with surprising delicacy. 
 She also painted in oil and water colors in a novel 
 manner. Possessing a rare art in blending colors, she 
 copied pictures so wonderfully that they could hardly 
 be distinguished from the originals. This faculty of 
 imitation she carried to such perfection, that it was 
 believed among her contemporaries that, had she de- 
 voted herself exclusively to this kind of work, she 
 would have equaled the great masters. She gave up, 
 however, after a while, the cultivation of this singular 
 talent for the development of another still more extra- 
 ordinary, for which she has obtained a place among 
 the great artists of her country. 
 
 All that the engraver accomplishes with the burin, 
 she was able to do with the scissors. Her cuttings 
 were indeed astonishing. Country scenes, marine 
 views, animals, flowers, with portraits of perfect resem- 
 blance, she executed in a marvelous manner. This 
 novel style of making pictures out of white paper 
 created not a little sensation, and ere long the matter 
 became spread abroad widely, and excited the curiosi- 
 ty of all the courts of Europe. Even artists could not 
 help admiring her skill in this strange art, and not 
 one came to Amsterdam without paying her a visit. 
 
 The Czar Peter the Great, princes of royal blood, 
 and nobles of the highest rank paid their respects to 
 the simple Dutch maiden, and examined her works 
 with pleased curiosity. The Elector Palatine offered 
 a thousand florins for three small pieces cut by her, 
 but the offer was declined as not liberal enough. 
 
128 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 The Empress of Germany ordered a piece executed 
 as a trophy of the arms of the Emperor Leopold I. 
 The design showed the crown and imperial arms up- 
 held by eagles, and surrounded by laurel wreaths, 
 garlands of flowers, and appropriate ornaments. This 
 was executed in a wonderful manner, and for it the 
 fair artist received four thousand florins. 
 
 The portrait of the emperor, cut by Joanna, is pre- 
 served in his imperial majesty's cabinet at Vienna. 
 Queen Mary of England, and other royal personages, 
 wished to decorate their cabinets with the works of 
 this artist. She cut many portraits, with which the 
 sitters were pleased and astonished. The Latin, Ger- 
 man, and Dutch verses composed in her honor would 
 fill a volume. She had in her working-room a volume 
 in which were registered the names of her illustrious 
 visitors, the princes and princesses and other great 
 personages writing their own. It is the same curious 
 register in which Nicholas Yerkslie saw the portraits 
 of illustrious persons, appended each to the proper 
 signature. This interesting addition is said to have 
 been made by Adrien Block, the artist's husband. 
 He published a series of vignettes from her pieces. 
 
 Joanna died in 1715, at the age of sixty -five. Her 
 taste and design were marked by correctness and deli- 
 cacy, and she was original and unique in the style of 
 work to which she devoted herself. When her pieces 
 were put over black paper, the effect was that of an 
 engraving or pen-drawing. Neatness, clearness, and 
 decision were her prominent characteristics. 
 
 Her portrait, coarsely engraved, is published by 
 Descampes. She had a noble style of face, with 
 strongly marked features. The hair is dressed in a 
 point in front ; the neckerchief and dress are worn in 
 antiquated style. 
 
ANNA WASSER. 129 
 
 Among the distinguished artists of the seventeenth 
 century we must not omit 
 
 ANNA WASSER. 
 
 She was born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1676, and 
 is esteemed by the Swiss as one of their most eminent 
 painters. Her father was Rudolph Wasser, a member 
 of the Grand Council of Zurich, and artist of the foun- 
 dation of the Cathedral. She very early evinced a re- 
 markable faculty for learning languages, and at the age 
 of twelve was familiar with Latin and French, and ac- 
 quainted with the general literature of those tongues. 
 Her rapid progress in belles-lettres astonished every 
 body, and gave the promise of wonderful attainments; 
 but the bent of her genius was for art. She took les- 
 sons of the painter Joseph Werner, and had no sooner 
 learned to handle a pencil, than she could think of 
 nothing else. When thirteen years old she made a 
 copy of Werner's " Flora" in Bern, which convinced 
 all her friends that she was destined by nature for 
 an artist. The painter himself praised her correct de- 
 sign and perfect imitation of his coloring, and advised 
 her father to send her to Bern to study. She spent 
 three years in the school ; at first employing herself 
 in oil painting, but finally abandoning that for minia- 
 tures. By the time her education was completed she 
 had reached a perfection little short of that of her 
 teacher. 
 
 Returning to Zurich, she devoted herself to art as a 
 profession. Her productions were taken to England, 
 Holland, and Germany, where they were greatly ad- 
 mired, and her contemporaries extolled her as a second 
 Schurmann. There was scarcely a court in the Ger- 
 man empire from which she had not commissions. 
 F2 
 
130 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Those of Baden-Durlach and Stuttgard disputed which 
 should possess the greatest number of her works. The 
 Duke of "Wurtemberg, Eberhard Louis, and his sister, 
 the Margravine von Durlach, sent her large portraits 
 to be painted in miniature. 
 
 "While Anna's fame spread throughout Germany, 
 her very success tended to throw difficulties in the 
 way of her artistic progress. Her father was pressed 
 with the care of a large family, and thought his inter- 
 ests would be favored more by multiplying the num- 
 ber of his daughter's works, than by allowing her time 
 to finish them. He urged her continually to new en- 
 terprises. Thus depressed and tied to sordid cares, 
 Anna lost her spirits and fell into a melancholy that 
 threatened to destroy her health. Happily, at this 
 time, the court of Solms Braunfels made her favorable 
 proposals of employment. She accepted the invita- 
 tion, went there with one of her brothers, and soon 
 found she would be enabled to indulge her taste for 
 elaborating and perfecting her paintings. She rapidly 
 regained her cheerfulness, and became the delight and 
 admiration of the circles in which she moved. Again 
 her father's avarice disturbed this agreeable state of 
 things. He sent her an abrupt summons to return 
 home, where he expected her to do more work for his 
 benefit. She obeyed the command, but on the jour- 
 ney, made in such haste, she got a severe fall, the ef- 
 fects of which terminated her life in 1713, at the age 
 of thirty -four. 
 
 Fuseli possessed a painting in oil done by Anna 
 Wasser at the age of thirteen. He gave her praise 
 for correctness of outline, and for spirit of coloring. 
 She appears to have excelled most in pastoral and 
 rural pieces, which it was her delight to paint. Her 
 
ANNA WASSER. 131 
 
 compositions were marked by great ingenuity, and 
 were finished with exquisite delicacy. 
 
 Her literary accomplishments procured her the 
 friendship of the most eminent scholars of her day in 
 Germany; such as "Werner, Meyer, Hubert, Steller, 
 etc., and she corresponded with many celebrated per- 
 sons. Among her female friends was Clara Eimart, 
 already mentioned among German artists. Her man- 
 ners were gentle and dignified, and her character was 
 pure and blameless. To filial obedience she would at 
 any time sacrifice her own inclinations; indeed she 
 often carried her devotion to excess. 
 
 The portrait given of her shows delicate and sharply 
 defined features. The hair is worn in Grecian style, 
 with ringlets at the side, and braids falling on her 
 neck. She appears surrounded with flowers, with 
 baskets of fruit beside her. 
 
 Maria Theresa van Thielen, and her two sisters, the 
 daughters of an artist of noble family, were instructed 
 by him in flower-painting, the first excelling also in 
 portraits. 
 
132 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 General Expansion and Extension of Art-culture. More Scope given 
 to the Tendencies originated in preceding Age. Reminiscences of 
 past Glories of Art active during the first half of the Century. 
 The Flemish and Italian Schools in vogue. Eclecticism. In- 
 fluences of the French School mingled with those of the great Mas- 
 ters. The Rococo Style. The Aggregate of Woman's Labor great- 
 er than ever before. Not accompanied by greater Depth. Less 
 Individuality discernible. The greatest artistic Activity among 
 Women in Germany. In France next. In Italy next. In other 
 Countries less. Rapid Growth of Art in Berlin. In Dresden. 
 Scholarship and literary Position of Women during the first half 
 of the Century. Poets and their Inspirations. Princesses the Pa- 
 trons of Letters. Nothing new or striking in Art. A Revolution 
 in the latter half of the Century. Instruction in Art a Branch of 
 Education. Dilettanti of high Rank. Female Pupils of Painters 
 of Note. Mengs and Carstens. Carstens the Founder of modern 
 German Art. His Style not adapted to female Talent. A lovely 
 Form standing between him and Mengs. A female Stamp-cutter. 
 An Artist in Wax-work. In Stucco-work. In cutting precious 
 Stones. Barbara Preisler. Other female Artists. Fashionable 
 Taste in Painting. Marianna Hayd. Miniaturists. Anna Maria 
 Mengs. Her Works. Miniature and Pastel-painting. Flowers 
 and Landscapes a Passion. Imitators of Rachel Ruysch and Mad- 
 ame Merian. Celebrities in Flower-painting. Copper-engraving. 
 Lady Artists of high Rank. Other Devotees to Art. 
 
 DURING the greater part of the eighteenth century 
 we find rather a general expansion and extension of 
 taste and cultivation in the arts, than a concentration 
 of effort or a more rich and earnest development of 
 talent. The period gave more scope to the tendencies 
 that had been originated and determined in a preced- 
 
ECLECTICISM. THE KOCOCO STYLE. 133 
 
 ing age. Connoisseurs fed upon reminiscences of the 
 past glories of art, and no new ideas were brought to 
 the world's notice till the first half of the century had 
 rolled away. 
 
 The Flemish and Italian schools were in vogue, 
 slightly modified, but, on the whole, scarcely changed 
 in any essential particular ; or a blending of diverse 
 styles produced some artists who hardly deserve no- 
 tice for their individual merits. A spirit of eclecti- 
 cism may, indeed, be traced in the productions of the 
 best masters of this time. The sovereigns in the do- 
 main of art had then passed away, and with the influ- 
 ence they still exercised -fras mingled that of the French 
 school. The brilliancy and glow of Titian and Paul 
 Yeronese, the deep poetic feeling of Giorgione, the 
 purity and tenderness of Kaphael and Leonardo da 
 Yinci, the rugged grandeur of Michael Angelo, the 
 soft, transparent loveliness of Correggio, the bright 
 beauty of Guido and Albano, and the power and pas- 
 sion of the Caravaggio school, disputed the considera- 
 tion of amateurs with the light and lively style, the 
 graceful mannerism of a Watteau and a Bouche, and 
 something of the reflective character of the German 
 Kaphael Mengs, or that of Carstens and of Dietrich. 
 
 The finished and ornate manner of France especial- 
 ly became popular over all the countries of Europe, 
 exercising the same influence, in a measure, upon art 
 that it had upon literature. Hence originated the 
 style that has been aptly termed the Eococo wanting 
 in depth and warmth, indeed, but having a certain 
 completeness of technical detail productive of happy 
 effects. 
 
 The fresh life and earnest vigor that had marked 
 the earlier schools were paralyzed in this, and we do 
 
134 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 not wonder that a better condition followed the re- 
 awakening of artistic feeling. 
 
 * It is not to be denied that the aggregate amount of 
 woman's labor in the domain of art was greater dur- 
 ing the eighteenth century than in any preceding one ; 
 indeed, the number of female artists far surpassed the 
 collected number of those known from earliest history. 
 So vast an increase was not according to the propor- 
 tion of other vocations. It is also true that, in their 
 efforts, as in those of the men of this period, the exten- 
 sion was not accompanied by greater depth, and less 
 individuality was discernible in the talent and skill 
 which became more genertlly diffused; hence the 
 well-grounded complaint that the time was deficient 
 in great men. Nevertheless, the sum of ability and 
 knowledge had not diminished, though, in its mani- 
 fold branchings and divisions, such might appear to 
 be the case. 
 
 We find, therefore, a certain uniformity and medi- 
 ocrity among numerous women artists of the eight- 
 eenth century, rather than eminent talent in special 
 instances. Yet this was not wholly wanting, while 
 the standard of excellence was elevated, and a more 
 general spirit of emulation prevailed. 
 
 Contrary to the experience of preceding ages, we 
 discover the greatest evidence of artistic activity 
 among women in Germany ; next to that, in France ; 
 then in Italy. The Netherlands and England may be 
 classed together, while Spain and the Scandinavian 
 countries are at the minimum in this respect. These 
 proportions are not owing to chance, but correspond 
 with the general development of art among the na- 
 tions at this time. 
 
 The aspect of female culture also corresponded with 
 
INFLUENCE OF WOMEN. 135 
 
 national characteristics. The decorative was of rapid 
 growth and early bloom in' Prussia ; Berlin, hardly 
 mentioned heretofore, became suddenly alive with 
 energetic talent superior to that which displayed itself 
 in any other German city. Art sprang into luxuri- 
 ance, too, at the Electoral court, and Dresden claimed 
 no insignificant rank in the scale. France meanwhile 
 sustained her old renown ; while Nuremberg and Mu- 
 nich should not be slighted. But the Austrian and 
 Ehine countries had less reason to boast ; and many 
 cities of northern Germany were in like poverty of 
 women artists. 
 
 During the first half of the eighteenth century, the 
 order of things differed not essentially from the close 
 of the seventeenth ; in fact, the same influences pre- 
 dominated, both in literature and art. The Pegnitz- 
 schafer and other poetical orders were still in exist- 
 ence ; the sacred poems composed by noble ladies had 
 their imitations ; female authors wrote after the estab- 
 lished fashion, while they entered on a wider field, 
 and partook of the new spirit breathed into German 
 poetry. Women then became not only creators in 
 the realm of fancy and imagination, but exercised a 
 controlling influence, by their relations of friendship 
 and intimacy with distinguished literary characters. 
 Meta arose beside her Klopstock ; Herder sought in- 
 spiration from his bride ; by Wieland stood Sophie 
 Delaroche ; Schiller was aided by Caroline Wolzogen 
 and Madame von Kalb; Goethe by Madame von 
 Stein. Princesses and the noble ladies of the land 
 gave their patronage and protection to letters, and 
 sought to gather round them the choice spirits of their 
 day. This, in the beginning of the century, did 
 Sophie Charlotte, the great Queen of Prussia; and 
 
136 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 Amalia von Weimar tlius aided the richest develop- 
 ment of German mind. 
 
 Though nothing new or striking can be said to have 
 been accomplished in art by women during the first 
 half of this centur y, the latter part witnessed a revolu- 
 tion in which they greatly aided to spread and deepen 
 the growth of new ideas. It became necessary to the 
 complete education of ladies of the higher classes, that 
 they should possess some knowledge of art. Hagedorn 
 mentions the fact that a teacher who could give in- 
 struction in drawing and painting could much more 
 readily obtain a situation than one ignorant of those 
 branches. Fashion and custom enjoined not only a 
 degree of knowledge, but also of skill, on those who 
 wished to be thought accomplished. There were 
 many aristocratic dilettanti, and a few royal ladies 
 emulated the fame of the princely dames of an older 
 time in the pictorial crafts. 
 
 Among these may be mentioned, Anna Amalia, of 
 Brunswick; the Archduchesses Charlotte and Maria 
 Anna, of Austria ; Duchess Sophia, of Coburg-Saal- 
 feld ; the Margravine of Baden-Durlach ; the Princess 
 Victoria, of Anhalt-Bernburg, and Elizabeth Ernes- 
 tine Antonia, of Saxe-Meiningen ; besides the excel- 
 lent Elizabeth Christina, of Brunswick, who sought to 
 promote the restoration of art and the advance of 
 knowledge, for the love of Frederick, her royal hus- 
 band, and who will ever be honored as the ornament 
 of a house that henceforward showed itself ready to 
 foster and appreciate the liberal arts. 
 
 We observe here, as before, that many painters of 
 note had female pupils or assistants, who endeavored 
 to carry out the ideas they originated. Dietrich, es- 
 teemed one of the best masters of the eclectic school of 
 
ANGELICA KAUFFMAN. 137 
 
 the eighteenth century, had his enthusiasm shared by 
 his two sisters ; Tischbein, who cultivated the French 
 style, as Dietrich did the Dutch, found appreciative 
 companions and co-laborers in his wife and daughter ; 
 and there were other women who strove to ennoble 
 the eclectic system by greater purity of tone and a 
 more ardent study of the antique. Oeser had several 
 female pupils ; and two sisters worked in modest re- 
 tirement beside the greatest artist of this style An- 
 toine Raphael Mengs having been taken through the 
 same course of severe study and exercise by their pe- 
 dantic father. 
 
 Carstens obtained and brought to perfection what 
 Mengs toiled to reach and realize. The grand and 
 comprehensive ideas of Winkelmann found in him a 
 harmonious development. Averse to the reflective, 
 which formed the chief characteristic of Mengs and 
 Oeser, he was steeped in the inspiration caught from 
 the antique ideal, and, without becoming a copyist of 
 any style, was able to reproduce the seed from the 
 fruitful soil of his own endowments. He may be call- 
 ed the founder of modern German art. His grand, 
 bold, and ingenious style did not particularly com- 
 mend itself to female talent ; we do not find, there- 
 fore, that he had any disciples of the softer sex. 
 
 Between Carstens and Mengs, however, stands a 
 lovely female form, in age midway betwixt them, as 
 in the peculiar bent of her genius ; less minute and re- 
 flective than Mengs, less grand and impressive than 
 Carstens. It is Angelica Kauffman, the gem of all 
 the women artists of this period ; preserving the forms 
 of the antique in her own delicate, elegant, and charm- 
 ing style; wielding her power with such gracious 
 sweetness that all who behold are attracted to render 
 the homage of heartfelt admiration. 
 
138 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 It was now that fresh, vitality was infused into Ger- 
 man art "by a contemplation of the antique, while the 
 forms of humanity and nature were observed with 
 greater freedom. Chodowiecki pursued this system, 
 and was one of the most successful artists de genre ; 
 while his daughter, his pupil, Mademoiselle Bohren, 
 and Kobell's scholar, Crescentia Schott, were instru- 
 mental in preparing the way for the advance of paint- 
 ing in the style lately introduced. 
 
 If we turn now from a general and hasty survey to 
 the notice of particular branches, it becomes a duty to 
 record the names of some women who practiced the 
 most difficult and laborious of the plastic arts. One 
 of these was stamp-cutting. One who first evinced 
 skill in this kind of work was Eosa Elizabeth Schwin- 
 del of Leipzig, who plied her art in Berlin at the com- 
 mencement of the eighteenth century. A beautiful 
 medal of Queen Sophia Charlotte, executed by her, is 
 preserved. She was accomplished also in the cutting 
 of gems and in modeling in wax. In wax- work, Eliz- 
 abeth Koss of Salzburg, Dorothea Menn of Cologne, 
 and Madame Weis, probably of Strasburg, were noted. 
 As a stone-cutter, Charlotte Rebecca Schild of Hanau 
 worked in Paris. Rosina Pflauder, in Salzburg, as- 
 sisted her husband in stucco-work. 
 
 In the same kind of work, as well as in painting, 
 Maria Juliana Wermuth of Gotha displayed both in- 
 dustry and skill. In cutting precious stones Susanna 
 Maria Dorsch gained some celebrity. She was born 
 at Nuremberg in 1701, and married the painter Solo- 
 mon Graf, taking the noted painter and engraver, J. J. 
 Preisler, for her second husband. The kind of work 
 in which she excelled had been practiced by her fa- 
 ther and grandfather, and her application was remark- 
 
GERMAN FEMALE ARTISTS. 139 
 
 able. A vast number of gems were cut by her hand, 
 and her industry was not without its reward in the 
 gaining of great reputation. Medals were stamped in 
 honor of her. 
 
 Her daughters, Anna Felicitas and Maria Anna 
 Preisler, employed themselves in the same kind of 
 work, without possessing, however, the variety of tal- 
 ent or achieving the brilliant success of Barbara Julia, 
 the daughter of Johann Daniel Preisler of Nuremberg. 
 She was skilled in various branches of art ; she could 
 model in wax, and work in ivory and alabaster, and 
 added painting and copper-engraving to the list of her 
 accomplishments. She married a painter named 
 Oeding, and died in Brunswick before 1764. Several 
 women, who were well known at the time as model- 
 ers in wax, and who occupied themselves in engraving 
 and stone-cutting, might be named. Amid a number 
 of names, necessarily passed over, may be added those 
 of the beautiful and variously-gifted Mary Anna Treu 
 of Bamberg, and her relative, Eosalie Treu, the wife 
 of the painter Dom, who afterward went to take the 
 veil in a convent at Mentz, giving up her resolution 
 four days before the completion of her novitiate, to 
 return to the world and her native Bamberg. 
 
 Henriette Felicitas Tassaert, the daughter of the fa- 
 mous painter, painted in pastel, and engraved in copper 
 admirably. Mademoiselle Nohren, a pupil of Chodo- 
 wiecki in Berlin, became a member of the academy. 
 
 It was natural that the greater number of artists of 
 this period should betake themselves to painting. We 
 will glance first at some branches of this, cultivated 
 especially by women who did not achieve any thing 
 noteworthy in historical and genre painting. The 
 fashionable taste of the day ran much upon miniatures 
 
140 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 and pastel portraits, and many women made them- 
 selves accomplished in this species of work, as well as 
 in enamel-painting, as far less study and application 
 were required than in the higher branches of the art. 
 
 Marianna Hayd, a somewhat celebrated miniature- 
 painter, was born in Dantzic in 1688. She pursued 
 her profession in Berlin, and, after her marriage in 
 1705 to the painter Werner, in Augsburg, her talents 
 procured for her the honor of a call to the electoral 
 court of Saxony in Dresden, where she received an 
 appointment, and died in 1753. 
 
 Another fair artist in miniatures was Anna Eosina 
 Liscewska, who also worked in Berlin, where she was 
 born in 1716. She achieved no mean success, and in 
 1769 was admitted a member of the academy in Dres- 
 den. 
 
 The same city was adorned by the elegant labors 
 of Anna Maria Mengs, whom Dr. Guhl calls " the most 
 gifted of the three sisters," and who is styled by Fio- 
 rillo "the daughter of the Eaphael of his age." She 
 received early instruction from her father; came to 
 Dresden in 1751, and devoted herself to painting 
 chiefly portraits. She made her first journey to Eome 
 in 1777, and there married a copper-engraver, Manuel 
 Salvador Carmona. She had many children, but con- 
 tinued to exercise her art while taking care of them. 
 She produced several pastel and miniature paintings. 
 Her chief works, done for the King of Spain and the 
 Infant Don Luis, are in Madrid, in the Academy of 
 San Fernando, of which she was chosen a member. 
 She died in Madrid, 1793. 
 
 As miniature and pastel painting are peculiarly 
 adapted to female hands by the delicate and cleanly 
 handling required, so flowers and landscapes seem to 
 
GERMAN" FLOWER-PAINTERS. 141 
 
 present objects and scenes of beauty congenial to the 
 taste of the sex. It can not be wondered at, therefore, 
 that these branches found several cultivators. Flow- 
 er and landscape painting became a passion among the 
 German women who could be classed as amateurs or 
 connoisseurs. Hagedorn mentions, in his work on 
 painting, as a distinguished patroness of these, a Count- 
 ess von Oppendorf. With her may be named the 
 Countess von Truchsetz-Waldburg, the Princess Anna 
 Paar, and others of no special note. Maria Dorothea 
 Dietrich, the sister of the Dresden painter, and Cres- 
 centia Schott, already mentioned, labored profession- 
 ally in the art. 
 
 Many were the fair painters who imitated the fa- 
 mous Eachel Euysch. The representation of animals 
 and objects in natural history became a favorite style, 
 and the celebrity of Madame Merian stirred up many 
 of her sex to emulate her success. The influence of 
 example wrought as powerfully here as in every oth- 
 er matter. 
 
 In the early part of this century lived at Lubeck 
 Catharina Elizabeth Heinecke, born in 1685, an en- 
 thusiastic patroness of flower-painting, and the mother 
 of " the famous Lubeck child." "We may mention 
 also, amid a cloud of artists to be passed unnoticed, a 
 family at Nuremberg, named Dietsch, that included 
 three sisters of talent and accomplishment. Catharina 
 Treu, born at Bamberg in 1742, obtained celebrity in 
 the same line. She studied in Diisseldorf, attracted 
 thither, doubtless, by the works of Eachel Euysch, and 
 received the appointment of cabinet-painter from Karl 
 Theodore at Mannheim. Thence she returned to Diis- 
 seldorf to take the place of professor in the academy 
 of art in that place. 
 
142 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 To the same period belongs Caroline Frederika 
 Friedrlch, the first female pensionnaire who exercised 
 her art as member of the academy in Dresden. Ger- 
 trude Metz of Cologne was also a disciple of Rachel 
 Euysch in Diisseldorf. Of a remaining host we name 
 only the sisters Anna and Elizabeth Fuessli (Fuseli), 
 who painted in the style of their father, and copied 
 from nature the flowers and insects of Switzerland. 
 
 Copper-engraving was at this period practiced by a 
 great number of women, and patronized by many fair 
 and princely dilettanti. The Princess of Saxe-Mei- 
 ningen, already named, possessed skill in this branch. 
 We may now leave all these, to look at the women 
 who distinguished themselves in the more command- 
 ing and elevated styles of historical and genre paint- 
 ing. Here appears more evidence of individuality in 
 the treatment of particular subjects. 
 
 Place must be accorded first to ladies of the highest 
 rank. Anna Amalia of Brunswick was a noted paint- 
 er. Maria Anna, Archduchess of Austria, and daugh- 
 ter of the Empress Maria Theresa, occupied her leisure 
 hours in genre-painting and etching, and by her skill 
 obtained considerable repute. Charlotte, Archduchess 
 of Austria, was a member of the academy at Vienna, 
 and as Queen of the Two Sicilies received instruction 
 in Naples from Mura. The Duchess Sophia of Co- 
 burg-Saalfeld, besides her paintings, left some proofs 
 of her skill in engraving toward the close of the cen- 
 tury. 
 
 To these illustrious names may be added others 
 who, like those royal dames, devoted themselves to 
 art, and gained high appreciation from connoisseurs. 
 Maria Elizabeth "Wildorfer of Innspruck was busied in 
 the same profession a long time in Eome, where she 
 
GERMAN PAINTRESSES. 143 
 
 painted portraits and church pictures under the pa- 
 tronage of a cardinal. Maria Theresa Kiedel of Dres- 
 den, made pensionnaire of the academy there in 1764, 
 occupied herself in copying Dutch genre-paintings. 
 Eosina, another sister of the painter Dietrich, copied 
 a number of old paintings. She married the painter 
 Boehme, and lived in Berlin till 1770. 
 
 Anna Dorothea, one of the sisters Liszeuska, born 
 in 1722, was elected, on account of her portraits and 
 historical works, a member of the Parisian Academy. 
 She died in Berlin as Madame Therbusch, in 1782. 
 Jacoba Werbronk worked in the latter part of the 
 century, and died in 1801 in the Cloister Iseghen. 
 But none of the women artists of this time can be 
 compared in point of genius or celebrity to the one of 
 whom we are now to speak one of the loveliest, most 
 gifted, and most estimable of all the women who have 
 secured immortal fame by the labors of the pencil. 
 
1M WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Angelica Kauffman. Parentage and Birth. Beautiful Scenery of 
 her native Land. Early Impulse to Painting. Adopts the Style 
 of Mengs. Her Residence in Como. Instruction. Music or 
 Painting ? Beauty of Nature around her. Angelica's Letter 
 about Como. Escape from Cupid. Removal to Milan. Intro- 
 duction to great Works of Art. Studies of the Lombard Masters. 
 The Duke of Modena her Patron. Portrait of the Duchess of 
 Carrara. Success. Return to Schwarzenberg. Painting in Fres- 
 co. Homely Life of the Artist. Milan and Florence. Rome. 
 Acquaintance with Winkelmann. Angelica paints his Portrait. 
 Goes to Naples. Studies in Rome. In Venice. Acquaintance 
 with noble English Families. In London. A brilliant Career. 
 Fuseli's Attachment to her. Appointed Professor in the Academy 
 of Aits. Romantic Incident of her Travel in Switzerland. The 
 weary Travelers. The libertine Lord. The Maiden's Indigna- 
 tion. Unexpected Meeting in the aristocratic Circles of London. 
 The Lord's Suit renewed. Rejected with Scorn. His Rank 
 and Title spurned. Revenge. The Impostor in Society. Ange- 
 lica deceived into Marriage. She informs the Queen. Her Fa- 
 ther's Suspicions. Discovery of the Cheat. The Wife's Despair. 
 The false Marriage annulled. The Queen's Sympathy. Sto- 
 ries of Angelica's Coquetry. Marriage with Zucchi. Return to 
 Italy. Her Father's Death. Residence in Rome. Circle of lit- 
 erary Celebrities. Angelica's Works. Criticisms. Opinions of 
 Mengs and Fuseli. The Portraits in the Pitti Gallery. Death of 
 Zucchi. Invasion of Italy. Angelica's Melancholy. - Journey 
 and Return. Her Death and Funeral. 
 
 ANGELICA KAUFFMAN. 
 
 MARIA ANNA ANGELICA KAUFFMAN was born in 
 Coire, the capital of the Orisons, in 1741. Her father, 
 the painter Johann Joseph Kauffman, had been called 
 to that place from Schwartzenberg on the Boden-See, 
 
ANGELICA KAUFFMA^T. 145 
 
 by the bishop's appointment, to paint church pictures. 
 He married there, and remained till 1742, before re- 
 moving to Morbegno in Lombardy. 
 
 An only child, Angelica's early years were tended 
 by the care of loving parents ; and the grandeur and 
 beauty of nature around her home, the vine-clad hills 
 and wild forests of her native land, the blue waters 
 and bright scenery she was accustomed to contemplate 
 in Italy, impressed her susceptible imagination, and 
 awakened in her youthful breast a quick and joyous 
 sympathy with nature. Though not specially intend- 
 ed by her father for the artist's calling, the early im- 
 pulse of genius led her to painting, and she was per- 
 mitted to follow the bent of her inclination with such 
 direction only as made the work appointed her seem 
 like a pleasant recreation. She preferred her lessons, 
 in fact, to any amusement. Yery different was the 
 early training of this gentle spirit to that of Kaphael 
 Mengs, compelled to labor under strict rules ; and 
 though Angelica afterward adopted the style of this 
 celebrated German master, hers differed in the posses- 
 sion of a light and charming grace, which could only 
 have been derived from her native endowments and 
 the free indulgence of her tastes. 
 
 At the age of nine this child of genius was much 
 noticed on account of her wonderful pastel pictures. 
 When her father left Morbegno, in 1752, to reside in 
 Como, she found greater scope for her ingenious tal- 
 ent, and better instruction in that city ; and, in addi- 
 tion to her practice with the brush and pencil, she de- 
 voted herself to studies in general literature and in 
 music. Her proficiency in the latter was so rapid, 
 and the talent evinced so decided, besides the posses- 
 sion of a voice unusually fine, that her friends, a few 
 G 
 
146 ^WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 years afterward, urged that her life should be devoted 
 to music. She was herself undecided for some time 
 to which vocation she should consecrate her powers. 
 In one of her pictures she represents herself standing, 
 in an attitude of hesitation, between the allegorical fig- 
 ures of Music and Painting. Her love for the latter 
 gained the ascendency ; and so great was her success, 
 while yet of tender age, that her portrait of a steward 
 of the Bishop of Como gained her a number of profit- 
 able orders. 
 
 The exquisite natural scenery by which Angelica 
 was at this time surrounded, in a home on the borders 
 of the loveliest lake in the world, had a genial influ- 
 ence on her feelings, and the time passed there was the 
 happiest of her life. She is said to have painted the 
 portrait of the Archbishop of Como, at a very early 
 age. At a later period she recurs with pleasure to the 
 years passed in this charming abode. 
 
 "You ask, my friend," she says, in one of her let- 
 ters, " why Corno is ever in my thoughts? It was at 
 Como that, in my most happy youth, I tasted the first 
 real enjoyment of life. I saw stately palaces, beauti- 
 ful villas, elegant pleasure-boats, a splendid theatre. 
 I thought myself in the midst of the luxuries of fairy- 
 land. I saw the urchin, too, young Love, in the act 
 of letting fly an arrow pointed at my breast ; but I, a 
 maiden fancy free, avoided the shaft, and it fell harm- 
 less. After the lapse of years," she proceeds, "the 
 genius that presides over my destiny led me again into 
 this delicious region, where I tasted the delights of 
 friendship with the charms of nature, and listened with 
 deeper joy than ever to the murmur of waves on that 
 unrivaled shore. One day I was walking with agree- 
 able company around one of the most beautiful villas 
 
ANGELICA KAUFFMAN. 147 
 
 near the lake. In the shadow of a wood I again saw 
 the youthful god slumbering. I approached him. He 
 awakened, looked at me, and, recognizing her who had 
 contemned his power, sprang up suddenly, intent on 
 swift revenge. He pursued me, the arrow sped once 
 more, and but by a hair's breadth failed to reach my 
 heart." 
 
 All too quickly, indeed, passed the two years of her 
 first residence in Como ; and it was with poignant re- 
 gret that she left her beloved home, when, in 1754, her 
 father went to settle his family in Milan. 
 
 Even this dreaded change, however, was a fortunate 
 one; for it seemed to be appointed that Angelica's 
 youth should glide away like a stream in the sunshine 
 of happiness. A new world of wonders opened to her 
 view in this city, where she saw works of art surpass- 
 ing in merit those she had yet beheld. She had cop- 
 ied antique models in her drawing, and the engrav- 
 ings of pictures by the early masters which were among 
 her father's treasures. Here she was first introduced 
 to an acquaintance with works of great beauty and im- 
 portance in the history of art. Here Leonardo da 
 Yinci had labored, and founded a school in which are 
 still conspicuous the gentle dignity, purity, and eleva- 
 tion that live in his creations. The impressions re- 
 ceived from her contemplation of the productions of 
 the most famous of the Lombard masters, and the care 
 with which she studied them till her own style became 
 imbued with their spirit, decisively influenced the pro- 
 fessional career of the young artist. 
 
 The change had a not less favorable effect upon her 
 worldly circumstances. Her copies of some pictures 
 found in the palace of Robert d'Este, Duke of Modena 
 and Governor of Milan, induced him to declare him- 
 
148 WOMEN" AKTISTS. 
 
 self tier patron, and led to her introduction to the 
 Duchess of Carrara. After she had painted by com- 
 mand the portrait of that princess, she received orders 
 for a number of pictures for other ladies of rank. 
 
 The associations to which this success gave rise con- 
 tributed to give the youthful painter that self-posses- 
 sion and dignity of manner, combined with a quiet 
 modesty most becoming her age and sex, which after- 
 ward marked her deportment in elevated circles of 
 society. 
 
 Thus the few years of Kaufman's residence in this 
 favored Italian city were productive of manifold ad- 
 vantages to his daughter. The death of his wife de- 
 termined him to another removal, and he went to un- 
 dertake a great work in his native city of Schwarzen- 
 berg. In this enterprise Angelica was of essential 
 service, having for the first time an opportunity of en- 
 gaging in an enterprise of magnitude, and of a kind 
 not often practiced by women. She painted in fresco 
 the figures of the Twelve Apostles after copper engrav- 
 ings from Piazetta. 
 
 It has been said that the time spent in this country 
 at this period by the young artist was in the home of 
 her father's brother, an honest " farmer, in comforta- 
 ble though narrow circumstances. At first, Angelica, 
 accustomed to the wonders of art and the splendor of 
 Italian cities, could scarcely bring herself to endure 
 this homely mode of existence. The rude manners of 
 those by whom she was surrounded the utter want 
 of elegance or taste displeased and disgusted her. 
 Gradually, however, as habit softened down these first 
 impressions, the poetic side of the picture dawned upon 
 her mind. She learned to love the homely simplicity 
 of that hospitable dwelling, with its gabled front and 
 
ANGELICA KAUFFMAN. 149 
 
 narrow windows the gloom and solitude of those dark 
 pine forests, through which the sunbeams could scarce- 
 ly penetrate, and ceased to long for the marble palaces 
 of Milan and the orange-groves of Como. Besides, 
 she had little time for idle regrets, the interior deco- 
 ration of a church in the neighborhood being intrust- 
 ed to her father and herself. Her success in an un- 
 dertaking so difficult excited considerable attention." 
 
 After the completion of this work, which won the 
 enthusiastic appreciation of the Bishop of Constance, a 
 season of disquiet followed, with frequent changes of 
 residence and a crowding of commissions, while the 
 artist in vain longed for an opportunity to revisit the 
 depository of art treasures Italy. To fulfill this wish, 
 and complete her artistic education, Angelica first re- 
 turned with her father to Milan, and thence went to 
 Florence, where she threw herself with restless zeal 
 into the study of the great master-pieces in which that 
 city is so rich. Her performances already met with 
 the appreciation that was afterward testified by the ad- 
 mission of her portraits into the collection there made 
 of original paintings by artists of celebrity. Cardinal 
 de Both called her to Constance for his portrait. 
 
 Yet even Florence was regarded by her only as a 
 place of preparatory study ; the great goal of her am- 
 bition was Rome. Thither she went in 1763, and her 
 usual good fortune followed her. She went through a 
 course of perspective the following year. The immor- 
 tal Winkelmann was then in the midst of his great 
 work of breathing new life into ancient art, and it was 
 his delight to interpret the inspiration for others, and 
 to promote social intercourse and a good understand- 
 ing among artists. 
 
 It was not long ere the youthful votary became ac- 
 
150 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 quainted with this great man. It was beautiful to see 
 the friendship that subsisted between this girl of eight- 
 een, in the fresh bloom of life, and the experienced 
 man of sixty, who had spent so many years of labor 
 in his profession : she brilliant and ardent, full of hope 
 and enthusiasm his brow furrowed with study and 
 reflection ; both inspired by the same spirit ; both hav- 
 ing felt the same ardent desire to visit the Eternal 
 City. 
 
 Angelica found both pleasure and profit in Wink- 
 elmann's society, always in the company of her friend, 
 the wife of Eaphael Mengs. A portrait of him, paint- 
 ed by her at this time, and afterward engraved by her, 
 amply proved, by its excellent likeness, vivid color- 
 ing, and vigorous touch, and, above all, by its spirit- 
 ual expression, how thoroughly she had comprehend- 
 ed the spirit of the greatest disciples of art. Winkel- 
 mann announced to his friends, not without evident 
 satisfaction, that his portrait had been painted " by a 
 young and beautiful woman." 
 
 Ere long, a command to copy some paintings in the 
 royal gallery at Naples called her to that city, so fa- 
 vored by the beauty of its situation and the charm of 
 its climate. Here she gained new ideas in the contem- 
 plation of numerous master-pieces of old time, as well 
 as a rich reward for her labors in executing orders 
 from many persons of rank. Her abode in that soft, 
 luxurious clime, surrounded by nature's loveliness, did 
 not, however, enervate her character, nor impair the 
 freshness and naivete of her style. 
 
 In 1764 we find her again in Eome. Here she pass- 
 ed a year in the prosecution of her studies, including 
 architecture and perspective, continuing her friendship 
 with Winkelmann. Her observations of Italian art 
 
ANGELICA KAUFFMAN. 151 
 
 were completed by studies of the works of the Caracci 
 in Bologna, and Titian, Tintoretto, and Paul Veronese 
 in Venice. In the last-mentioned city Angelica made 
 the acquaintance of an English lady the accomplish- 
 ed Lady Wentworth, wife of the British resident who 
 afterward took her to London. 
 
 During her stay in Naples she had been received 
 into relations of intimacy with several noble English 
 families, and had taken their orders for paintings. It 
 was thought that in London a more distinguished and 
 more lucrative success would be commanded than she 
 could hope for in a country so rich in artistic achieve- 
 ments as Italy. This was in truth the case ; and after 
 Angelica had passed through Paris, availing herself 
 of its advantages, to London, she found open to her a 
 career of brilliant success, productive of much pecun- 
 iary gain. Her talents and winning manners raised 
 her up patrons and friends among the aristocracy. 
 Persons attached to the court engaged her professional 
 services ; and the most renowned painter in England, 
 Sir Joshua Eeynolds, was of the circle of her friends. 
 It is said he offered frer his hand, and I have been 
 told by Mr. Eobert Balmanno, who knew Fuseli per- 
 sonally, that he was one of her suitors. She was num- 
 bered among the painters of the Eoyal Society, and 
 received the rare honor, for a woman, of an appoint- 
 ment to a professorship in the Academy of Arts in 
 London, being, meanwhile, universally acknowledged 
 to occupy a brilliant position in the best circles of 
 fashionable society. 
 
 A writer in the "Westminster Keview gives a roman- 
 tic account of an incident that led to the greatest mis- 
 fortune of Angelica's life : 
 
 " It was in early girlhood, while traveling with her 
 
152 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 father through Switzerland to their native land, that 
 she first beheld the man who was to exercise so fatal 
 an influence on her destiny. Angelica was then only 
 in her seventeenth year, her dawning talents had al- 
 ready attracted considerable attention, but as both fa- 
 ther and daughter were poor, they were compelled to 
 travel on foot, resting at night at the little inns by the 
 wayside. One evening, when, wearied with the long 
 day's journey, they entered a humble house of enter- 
 tainment, they were informed by the landlord that they 
 must go farther, for a couple of "grand seigneurs," 
 just arrived, had engaged all the rooms for themselves 
 and their suite. The weary travelers insisted on their 
 right to remain, and the debate was growing warm, 
 when one of the gentlemen for whose accommodation 
 they were rejected made his appearance, and with 
 great politeness begged them to enter the dining-room 
 and share their repast. The good Kauffman, whose 
 frank, confiding nature was always a stranger to sus- 
 picion, at once consented, despite the whispered en- 
 treaties of his daughter, who, with the intuitive per- 
 ception of her sex, had discerned something offensive 
 beneath the polished courtesy of their inviter. She 
 was not mistaken ; at the table Lord E soon for- 
 got the respect due to youth and innocence, and at- 
 tempted some liberty. Angelica indignantly repulsed 
 it, and on its repetition, rising hastily from the table, 
 drew her father with her, and instantly left the house." 
 Years afterward, while Angelica was living in En- 
 gland " welcomed with enthusiasm, sought by the no- 
 blest and most gifted in the land, when all seemed to 
 smile upon her path, in a fatal hour she again lighted 
 on the man whose undisguised libertinism had so deep- 
 ly wounded her modesty ten years before. It was in 
 
ANGELICA KAUFFMAST. 153 
 
 the midst of a brilliant circle, where all the beaux es- 
 prits of London were assembled, that they again met. 
 
 Lord E had long since lost every trace of her, and 
 
 great was his amazement to recognize in the elegant 
 woman and celebrated artist the humble little pedes- 
 trian of the Swiss mountains. If he had thought her 
 charming then, how much more lovely did she seem 
 to him now ; his heart and fancy were alike inflamed, 
 and he resolved that this time, at least, she should not 
 escape him. Feigned repentance for the past, assur- 
 ances of unselfish devotion which sought for nothing 
 in return save the friendship and esteem of its object, 
 flattery, insinuation, all were employed. Angelica, 
 trusting and guileless, believed him ; nor was it till, 
 fancying himself secure of triumph, he threw off the 
 mask, that she even suspected his baseness. Equally 
 shocked and indignant, she would no longer admit 
 him to her society. 
 
 "This only stimulated his passions. Perhaps he 
 thought it a pretext to lure him to more honorable of- 
 fers ; at all events, despairing of winning the prize by 
 any other means, he laid his rank and title at her feet. 
 But Angelica was no Pamela to receive with humble 
 gratitude the hand of him who had insulted her vir- 
 tue. Her mild but resolute refusal stung him to mad- 
 ness. If what some of her biographers assert be true, 
 he forced himself into her presence, and sought by vio- 
 lence that which no entreaties could win ; but here, 
 too, he failed. The rumor of his worthless conduct 
 got abroad, and he found it mst convenient to leave 
 England for a time, vowing revenge. The subsequent 
 portion of the story is well known." 
 
 Others say it was an English painter, who, out of 
 jealousy of the talents of Angelica, instigated to his 
 G2 
 
154 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 base plot the man who deceived her. Be that as it 
 may, she was undoubtedly the victim of a conspiracy 
 arranged with no less malignity than art. It was a 
 counterpart to the story of the Lady of Lyons ; a re- 
 jected suitor vowing revenge, and using as his instru- 
 ment to obtain it a man very different in character 
 from the noble Claude. 
 
 A low-born adventurer, who assumed the name of 
 a gentleman of rank and character that of his mas- 
 ter, Count Frederic de Horn played a conspicuous 
 part at that time in London society, and was skillful 
 enough to deceive those with whom he associated. 
 He approached our artist, who was then about twen- 
 ty-six, and in the bloom of her existence. He paid 
 his respects as one who rendered the deepest homage 
 to her genius ; then he passed into the character of an 
 unassuming and sympathizing friend. Finally, he ap- 
 pealed to her romantic generosity by representing 
 himself as threatened with a terrible misfortune, from 
 which she only could save him by accepting him as 
 her husband. A sudden and secret marriage he aver- 
 red was necessary. 
 
 Poor Angelica, who had shunned love on the banks 
 of Como, and under the glowing skies of Italy ; and 
 since her coming to London had rejected many offers 
 of the most advantageous alliance, that she might re- 
 main free to devote herself to her art, was caught in 
 the fine-spun snare, and yielded to chivalrous pity for 
 one she believed worthy of her heart's affection. The 
 marriage was celebrated by a Catholic priest, without 
 the formality of writings, and without witnesses. 
 
 Angelica had received commissions to paint several 
 members of the royal family and eminent personages 
 of the court, and her talents had procured her the fa- 
 
ANGELICA KAUFFMAN. 155 
 
 vorable notice of the Queen of England. One day, 
 while she was painting at Buckingham Palace, her 
 majesty entered into conversation with her, and An- 
 gelica communicated to her royal friend the fact of 
 her marriage. The queen congratulated her, and sent 
 an invitation to the Count de Horn to prese'nt himself 
 at court. The impostor, however, dared not appear 
 so openly, and he kept himself very close at home, for 
 he well knew that it could not be long before the de- 
 ception would be discovered. 
 
 At length the suspicions of Angelica's father, to 
 whom her marriage had been made known, led him 
 to inquiries, which were aided by friends of influence. 
 About this time, some say, the real count returned, 
 and was surprised at being frequently congratulated 
 on his marriage. Then came the mortifying discov- 
 ery that the pretended count was a low impostor/ 
 The queen informed Angelica, and assured her of her 
 sympathy. 
 
 The fellow had been induced to seek the poor girl's 
 hand from motives of cupidity alone, desiring to pos- 
 sess himself of the property she had acquired by her 
 labors. He now wished to compel her to a hasty 
 flight from London. Believing herself irrevocably 
 bound to him, Angelica resolved to submit to her 
 fate ; but her firmness and strength of nature enabled 
 her to evade compliance with his requisition that she 
 should leave England, till the truth was made known 
 to her that he who called himself her husband was 
 already married to another woman still living. This 
 discovery made it dangerous for the impostor to re- 
 main in London, and he was compelled to fly alone, 
 after submitting unwillingly to the necessity of restor- 
 ing some three hundred pounds obtained from his vic- 
 tim, to which he had no right. 
 
156 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 The false marriage was, of course, immediately de- 
 clared null and void. . These unhappy circumstances 
 in no way diminished the interest and respect mani- 
 fested for the lady who, in plucking the rose of life, 
 had been so severely wounded by its thorns ; on the 
 contrary, she was treated with more attention than 
 ever, and received several unexceptionable offers of 
 marriage. But all were declined ; she chose to live 
 only for her profession. 
 
 One of Angelica's biographers pronounces her 
 "proof against flattery." JSTollekens, on the other 
 hand, accused her of having been a coquette in her 
 youth. While at Eome, before her marriage, he said 
 she was extremely fond of personal admiration. * ' One 
 evening she took her station in one of the most con- 
 spicuous boxes of the theatre, accompanied by two 
 artists, both of whom, as well as many others, were 
 desperately enamored of her. She had her place be- 
 tween her two adorers ; and while her arms were fold- 
 ed before her in front of the box over which she lean- 
 ed, she managed to press a hand of both, so that each 
 imagined himself the cavalier of her choice." 
 
 After fifteen years' residence in England, when the 
 physician who attended her suffering father advised 
 return to Italy, and the invalid expressed his fear of 
 dying and leaving her unprotected, Angelica yielded 
 to his entreaties, and bestowed her hand upon the 
 painter Antonio Zucchi. 
 
 This gentleman was born in Venice in 1728, and 
 had worked there upon historical pieces. He after- 
 ward took to landscape-painting and architecture, and 
 many of his designs were published in learned works 
 of the day. Being induced to go to England, he ob- 
 tained an excellent place, and won the warm friend- 
 
ANGELICA KAUFFMAN. 157 
 
 ship of Mr. Kauffman. The marriage with his daugh- 
 ter took place in 1781, and proved a most happy one, 
 undisturbed by any untoward occurrence till the death 
 of Zucchi. 
 
 Angelica, with her husband and her father, now re- 
 turned to the sunny south. Stopping in Schwarzen- 
 berg to visit their relatives, they proceeded to Italy, 
 settling themselves for a prolonged stay. In January 
 of the following year KaufFman expired in the arms 
 of his loving child. 
 
 The wedded pair, anxious to escape from the shad- 
 ow of this sorrow, hastened to Rome, where they fixed 
 their permanent abode, paying only a few visits to 
 Naples at the command of the royal family. Their 
 house was the centre of attraction to the artistic and 
 literary society of that capital of art ; and Madame 
 Zucchi did the honors and dispensed hospitalities with 
 a grace peculiarly her own, without losing a particle 
 of her energy in the prosecution of her painting, or 
 any portion of the love for it that had distinguished 
 her early years. This may account for the uniform 
 individuality discernible in her productions, in the 
 merits and defects of which may be traced the pecul- 
 iarities of her nature and training. 
 
 In Rome, Angelica became acquainted with Goethe, 
 Herder, and other great men who at different times 
 visited the Eternal City. Goethe says of her in one 
 of his letters, " The good Angelica has a most remark- 
 able, and, for a woman, really unheard-of talent ; one 
 must see and value what she does and not what she 
 leaves undone. There is much to learn from her, par- 
 ticularly as to work, for what she effects is really mar- 
 velous." And in his work entitled " Winkelmann 
 and his Century," he observes concerning her: " The 
 
158 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 light and pleasing in form and color, in design and ex- 
 ecution, distinguish the numerous works of our artist. 
 No living painter excels her in dignity, or in the del- 
 icate taste with which she handles the pencil." 
 
 At the same time she has been thought deficient in 
 strength of outline, variety and force of touch ; her col- 
 oring has been said to lack depth and warmth ; while 
 all acknowledge her grace, sweetness, and delicacy, 
 and the freedom and ease, with the correctness and el- 
 egance of her drawing. Her works have been justly 
 called " light and lovely May -games of a charming fan- 
 tasy." 
 
 Among her character-pictures have been noted par- 
 ticularly " Allegra" and "Penserosa," and fancy por- 
 traits of Sappho and Sophonisba, with the goddesses 
 of Grecian mythology ; also figures and scenes from 
 the modern poets, such as the delicate and bewitching 
 Una, from Spenser's " Faery Queen," and simple alle- 
 gorical representations. These last were favorite sub- 
 jects with her, and were taken both from classic and 
 romantic history, as "Yenus and Adonis," "Rinaldo 
 and Armida," "The Death of Heloise," "Sappho in- 
 spired by Love," etc. The praise can not be denied 
 her of having essentially aided the progress of modern 
 art, without parting with any portion of her feminine 
 reserve and purity. Her pictures, with Mengs's writ- 
 ings, helped to liberate painting from the exclusive 
 school of Carlo Maratti. 
 
 Among her best compositions have been noted 
 " Leonardo da Vinci Dying in the arms of Francis I. ;" 
 " The Return of Arminius" painted for Joseph II. 
 "The Funeral Pomp of Pallas;" and "The Nymph 
 Surprised," covering herself hastily with a white veil. 
 In painting portraits, she had the habit of waiting, be- 
 
ANGELICA KAUFFMAK 159 
 
 fore sketching, to seize on some favorite attitude or 
 expression. She understood the effects of clare-ob- 
 scure, and took care to avoid confusion in her figures. 
 Her draperies were designed with taste, and not su- 
 perfluous. 
 
 An amateur once said to her, " Your angels could 
 walk without deranging their robes." 
 
 She was in the habit of throwing on paper her re- 
 flections, and preserving the souvenirs. The follow- 
 ing words were written on one of her pictures : 
 
 " I will not attempt to express supernatural things 
 by human inspiration, but wait for that till I reach 
 heaven, if there is painting done there." 
 
 Art to her had been as the breath of life, and labor 
 her greatest delight. They continued to be so, even 
 when, crowned with fame, she was the centre of an ad- 
 miring circle in the best society of Eome. Zucchi, in 
 the hope of beguiling her from too assiduous applica- 
 tion, purchased a beautiful villa Castle Gandolfo 
 for their residence ; but Angelica could not bear to be 
 long distant from Eome. Strangers who came to the 
 city were soon attracted to pay their respects to the 
 lovely artist ; and in the companionship of the great 
 and gifted, either in her own circle, or with friends 
 like Klopstock and Gessner who have highly praised 
 her genius she exercised an influence that did not 
 fail to promote the growth of literary and artistic cul- 
 tivation. 
 
 De Eossi says : " It was interesting to see Angelica 
 and her husband before a picture. While Zucchi 
 spoke with enthusiasm, Angelica remained silent, fix- 
 ing her eloquent glance on the finest portions of the 
 work. In her countenance one could read her feel- 
 ings, and her observations were always limited to a 
 
160 WOME^" ARTISTS. 
 
 few brief words. These, however, seldom expressed 
 any blame ; only the praises of that which was wor- 
 thy of praise. It belonged to her nature to be struck 
 by the beautiful alone, as the bee draws only honey 
 out of every flower." 
 
 Eaphael Mengs pronounced upon her a flattering 
 eulogium. " As an artist," he says, " she is the pride 
 of the female sex in all times and all nations. Noth- 
 ing is wanting ; composition, coloring, fancy, all are 
 here." But he was her friend, and wrote thus while 
 the recollection of her charms and virtues were fresh 
 in his memory. 
 
 Fuseli, who was honored by her friendship, was a 
 more severe judge. He says, he " has no wish to con- 
 tradict those who make success the standard of genius, 
 and, as their heroine equals the greatest names in the 
 first, suppose her on a level with them in power. She 
 pleased, and desired to please, the age in which she 
 lived and the race for which she wrought. The Ger- 
 mans, with as much patriotism, at least, as judgment, 
 have styled her the Paintress of Minds (Seelen Mah- 
 lerin) ; nor can this be wondered at for a nation who, 
 in A. E. Mengs, flatter themselves that they possess an 
 artist equal to Eaphael. 
 
 " The male and female characters of Angelica never 
 vary in form, feature, or expression from the favorite 
 ideal in her own mind. Her heroes are all the man 
 to whom she thought she could have submitted, 
 though him, perhaps, she never found. Her heroines 
 are herself, and, while suavity of countenance and al- 
 luring graces shall be able to divert the general eye 
 from the sterner demands of character and expression, 
 can never fail to please." 
 
 The lighter scenes of poetry were painted by her 
 
ANGELICA KAUFFMAN. 161 
 
 with a grace and taste entirely her own, and happily 
 formed, withal, to meet that of an engraver, whose la- 
 bors contributed to the growth and perpetuity of her 
 fame. This was Bartolozzi, whose talents were in great 
 part devoted to her. 
 
 One feels naturally desirous of knowing something 
 about the personal appearance of one so much admired. 
 Her portrait, painted by herself, the size of life, is in 
 the Pitti Gallery at Florence, with that of two other 
 female artists ; and the three attract the attention of 
 every visitor. 
 
 The following is the description of one spectator: 
 " The first in feature and expression bears the stamp 
 of a masculine intellect; the touch is vigorous, the 
 coloring has the golden tint of the Venetian school, 
 but it presents no mark of individuality ; this is Maria 
 Eobusti Tintoretti. The second can not be mistaken ; 
 even the most unpracticed eye would discern at a 
 glance that it is a Frenchwoman piquant, lively^ 
 graceful, evidently not so much engrossed with her 
 art as to be insensible to admiration as a woman this 
 is the well-known Madame Le Brun. Opposite the 
 fair Parisian is a third portrait, a woman still in the 
 bloom of life, but destitute of all brilliancy of coloring, 
 with an expression grave and pensive almost to mel- 
 ancholy. She is seated on a stone, in the midst of a 
 solitary landscape, a portfolio with sketches in one 
 hand, a pencil in the other. The attitude is unstudied 
 almost to negligence. There is no attempt at display ; 
 you feel as you look on her that every thought is 
 absorbed in her vocation. This is Angelica Kauff- 
 man." 
 
 The quiet tenor of her life was broken up by the 
 death of her husband in 1795. This domestic calamity 
 
162 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 was followed by political events that shook the world, 
 and our artist suffered amid the universal agitation. 
 She was much disquieted by the invasion of Italy by 
 the French, though she found in her art both relief 
 from care and a protection from the dread of poverty. 
 General L'Espinasse exempted the house in which she 
 lived from lodging soldiers, and offered her his serv- 
 ices for her security and protection. But no kindness 
 could restore her lost energy or bring back the cheer- 
 fulness that had once sustained her. 
 
 In 1802 Angelica was seized with illness, and on 
 recovery was advised to travel for the strengthening 
 of both her bodily and mental faculties, and for relief 
 from the oppression of sadness that paralyzed even 
 her love of art. She visited Florence, Milan, and 
 Como, where she lingered with a melancholy pleasure 
 amid the scenes of her youthful days. In Venice she 
 staid to visit the family of her deceased husband. She 
 then returned to Rome, where she was received by her 
 friends with a jubilant welcome. 
 
 Her time passed thenceforward in her accustomed 
 employments, and the society of those who loved her. 
 Her health continued to decline, but her intellect re- 
 mained bright and vigorous to the period of her death 
 in November, 1807. Not long before she expired she 
 requested her cousin by signs to read to her one of 
 Gellert's spiritual odes. In the midst of Italian life 
 she was ever true to the German spirit ; as, amid her 
 more than masculine labors, she preserved her gentle, 
 womanly nature. The news of her decease caused 
 profound grief throughout Rome. All the members 
 of the Academy of St. Luke assisted at her funeral ; 
 and, as at the obsequies of Raphael, her latest pictures 
 were borne after her bier. Her remains were placed 
 
ANGELICA KATJFFMAN. , 163 
 
 in the Church of St. Andrew della Fratte. Her bust 
 was preserved in the Pantheon. 
 
 Her works are scattered all over Europe, and are to 
 be found in Vienna, Munich, London, Florence, Eome, 
 Paris, etc. 
 
164 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Female Artists in the Scandinavian Countries. In Sweden. Ulrica 
 Pasch. Danish Women Artists. A richer Harvest in the Nether- 
 lands. The Belgian Sculptress. Maria Verelst. Her Paintings 
 and Attainments in the Languages. Residence in London. 
 Curious Anecdote. Walpole's Remark. Women Artists in Hol- 
 land. Poetry. Henrietta Wolters. Her Portraits. Invitation 
 from Peter the Great. Dutch Paintresses. The young Engraver. 
 Caroline Scheffer. Landscape and Flower Painters. A Fol- 
 lower of Rachel Ruysch. An Engraver. In England. Painting 
 suited to Women. Literary Ladies. Effect of the Introduction 
 of a new Manner in Art. Numerous Dilettanti. Female Sculp- 
 tors. Mrs. Samon. Mrs. Siddons and others. Mrs. Darner. 
 Aristocratic Birth. Early love of Study and Art. Horace Wai- 
 pole her Adviser. Conversation with Hume. First Attempt at 
 Modeling. The Marble Bust and Hume's Criticism. Surprise 
 of the gay World. Miss Conway's Lessons and Works. Unfor- 
 tunate Marriage. Widowhood. Politics. Walpole's Opinion of 
 Mrs. Darner's Sculptures. Darwin's Lines. Sculptures. Envy 
 and Detraction. Going abroad. Escape from Danger. Noble 
 Ambition. Return to England. Politics and Kissing. Private 
 Theatricals. The three Heroes. Friendship with the Empress. 
 Walpole's Bequest. Parlor Theatricals, etc. Removal. Proj- 
 ect for improving India. Mrs. Darner's Works. Opinions of 
 her. 
 
 FROM Germany we now turn to the northern coun- 
 tries, to the Netherlands, and England, to glance at 
 their female artists of the eighteenth century. 
 
 Few are found among the Scandinavian nations. 
 Female talent had greatly aided to bring about the 
 rise of literature in Sweden, as in the instance of Char- 
 lotte Nordenflycht and Ulrica Widstrom by their lyric 
 
MARIA VEEELST. 165 
 
 poems, and Maria Lenngren by her dramatic produc- 
 tions ; but only one artist of merit appears the paint- 
 er Ulrica Frederika Pasch, who, in 1773, was elected 
 a member of the Academy at Stockholm. 
 
 In Denmark, where many women cultivated the 
 muses, gaining celebrity for lyric and dramatic pro- 
 ductions, a flower-painter, C. M. Eyding, and an en- 
 graver on copper, Alexia de Lodde, may be men- 
 tioned, as well as Margaretta Ziesenis, who devoted 
 herself to painting portraits and historical pieces, and 
 was somewhat famous for her copies in miniature, such 
 as that of Correggio's Zingarella. 
 
 A much richer harvest opens in the Netherlands, in 
 which the number of women pursuing art as a profes- 
 sion was not less than it had been in the preceding 
 century. Among the Belgians the name of the sculp- 
 tress Anna Maria von Eeyschoot of Ghent must not be 
 omitted. 
 
 MARIA VERELST. 
 
 Maria Verelst was born in 1680, at Antwerp. She 
 was the daughter of the painter Herman Yerelst, and 
 belonged to a family abounding in celebrated artists. 
 She received instruction from her uncle, Simon Verelst, 
 and was highly esteemed, not only for her very un- 
 common skill in small portraits, while she attempted 
 historical pieces successfully, but also for her attain- 
 ments in the languages and music. She went with 
 her father to London, then, as before and afterward, 
 the rendezvous of foreign talent, and died there in 
 1744. 
 
 Descampes mentions a curious anecdote of her pro- 
 ficiency in the languages. During her residence in 
 London, one evening at the theatre, she chanced to sit 
 
166 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 near six German gentlemen of high rank. They were 
 struck with her beauty and distinguished air, and ex- 
 pressed their admiration in conversation with each 
 other, in the most high-flown terms which the German 
 language could supply. The lady turned and ad- 
 dressed them in the same tongue, observing that such 
 extravagant praise in the presence of a lady conveyed 
 to her no real compliment. One of them soon after 
 repeated his encomium in Latin. She again turned, 
 and, replying in the same language, said, " It was un- 
 just to deprive the fair sex of that classic tongue, the 
 vehicle of so much true learning and taste." 
 
 With increased admiration the strangers begged per- 
 mission to pay their respects in person to a lady so 
 singularly endowed. Maria answered that she was a 
 painter by profession, and lived with her uncle, Ye- 
 relst the flower-painter. They did not lose time in 
 availing themselves of the opportunity of seeing the 
 fair artist and her works. Each of the gentlemen sat 
 for his portrait, for which he gave liberal compensa- 
 tion. The story spread abroad, and proved an intro- 
 duction for Maria into the best society. 
 
 Walpole remarks of this artist that she painted in 
 oil both large and small portraits, and drew small his- 
 tory-pieces. She spoke Latin, German, Italian, and 
 other languages fluently. 
 
 In Protestant Holland women artists are found in 
 still greater numbers. Here the same favorable cir- 
 cumstances which had in former ages brought art to 
 early bloom existed with little change. As women 
 assumed an influential position in literature, so they 
 did in the pictorial arts. 
 
 The religious spirit that animated many breathed in 
 the hymns and odes of Petronella Mocas,,and in the 
 
HENRIETTA WOLTERS. 167 
 
 didactic poetry of Lucretia van Merken ; Elizabeth. 
 Wolff made herself known by her poetical epistles ; 
 and the national drama, the fair fruit of the seven- 
 teenth century, had a votary in the Baroness von 
 Launoy, who made translations from Tyrtaeus. In 
 like manner did women show their enterprise in the 
 branches of study which belong to our subject. 
 
 HENRIETTA WOLTERS. 
 
 Henrietta "Wolters of Amsterdam gained no incon- 
 siderable fame as a miniature-painter. She was the 
 pupil of her father, Theodore van Pee, and was early 
 accustomed to copy from Yan derVelde andVandyck. 
 The miniature portraits afterward painted by her were 
 so perfect in finish and execution, that the Czar Peter 
 the Great, who seems to liave become acquainted with 
 her during his journey incognito through Holland, of- 
 fered her a salary of six thousand florins as court- 
 painter if she would remove to his capital. She re- 
 ceived as much, as four hundred florins for a single 
 picture. She declined the imperial invitation, and re- 
 mained in her home, where, having lived with her 
 husband, the painter "Wolters, since 1719, she died in 
 1741. 
 
 Passing over several of little note as artists, though 
 among them are numbered the Princess Anna of Or- 
 ange and Cornelia de Ryk, we may pause to mention 
 Christina Chalon, who was born in Amsterdam in 
 1749, and received her education with another artist, 
 Sarah Troost. She painted chiefly in gouache scenes 
 from country life and family groups, and is said to 
 have learned the engraver's art so young that she en- 
 graved a picture when only nine years old. She died 
 at Leyden in 1808. 
 
168 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Caroline Scheffer belongs to the close of this centu- 
 ry. She was the daughter and pupil of a painter, 
 Ary Lamme, and married another, J. B. Scheffer of 
 Mannheim, with whom she lived long in Amsterdam 
 and Eotterdam. After her husband's death, in 1809, 
 she went to Paris with her two sons, Ary and Henry, 
 to give them the advantage of the best instruction in 
 painting. They did credit to the care of this good 
 and affectionate mother in the fame they acquired, 
 and returned her devotion with due tenderness and 
 filial love. She died at Paris in 1839. 
 
 To these names should be added those of several 
 women who devoted themselves especially to land- 
 scape and flower painting two branches in which 
 Holland could boast artists of skill and renown. 
 Among these are Elizabeth Ryberg, who lived in Rot- 
 terdam; Maria Jacoba Ommegank, and Alberta ten 
 Oever of Groningen, some of whose landscapes, in the 
 manner of Ruysdael and Hobbema, were seen in the 
 exhibition of 1818. Anna Moritz, Susanna Maria 
 Nymegen, and Cornelia van der Myin, are named by 
 Dr.Guhl. 
 
 Elizabeth Georgina van Hogenhuizen, a dilettante, 
 born in Hague in 1776, became a disciple of Kachel 
 Ruysch, and gave promise of attaining to a kindred 
 celebrity, had not her life been cut short in the bloom 
 of eighteen. 
 
 Among engravers on copper, who employed them- 
 selves with the pencil as well as the graver, may be 
 mentioned Maria Elizabeth Simons ; she engraved sev- 
 eral pictures from Rubens and Van der Velde in the 
 early part of the century. 
 
 In England, the political greatness of the nation 
 and the appreciation of art among the nobility, more 
 
LITERARY LADIES. 169 
 
 than any natural predisposition of the people, proved 
 favorable to the progress of a cultivated taste, and re- 
 warded talent from other countries. Corresponding 
 to the improvement in the prospects of art, we find a 
 number of women occupied diligently in its pursuit. 
 
 A writer in one of the British reviews observes : 
 " The profession of the painter would seem, in many 
 respects, peculiarly fitted for woman. It demands no 
 sacrifice of maiden modesty nor of matronly reserve ; 
 it leads her into no scenes of noisy revelry or unseem- 
 ly license; it does not force her to stand up to be 
 stared at, commented on, clapped or hissed by a crowd- 
 ed and often unmannered audience, who forget the 
 woman in the artist. It leaves her, during a great 
 portion of her time at least, beneath the protecting 
 shelter of her home, beside her own quiet fireside, in 
 the midst of those who love her and whom she loves. 
 But, on the other hand, to attain high eminence, it 
 demands the entire devotion of a life ; it entails a toil 
 and study, severe, continuous, and unbroken." There 
 is enough in this twofold truth to account both for the 
 number of women artists and the failure of many to 
 reach the distinction they aimed at. 
 
 The assiduous cultivation of literature among ladies 
 of the higher class in the eighteenth century is suffi- 
 ciently attested by productions that yet remain for 
 popular admiration. The names of Joanna Baillie, 
 Mrs. Montague, Clara Eeeve, Fanny Burney, Harriet 
 and Sophia Lee, Mrs. Cowley, etc., posterity will not 
 willingly let die; and -the improvement in general ed- 
 ucation owes much to the beneficial influence of wom- 
 en who labored for this end, and strove also to intro- 
 duce into society a less frivolous tone of manners and 
 a more pervading respect for morality and religion. 
 
 H 
 
170 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Mrs. Trimmer, Hannah More, Mrs. Barbauld, are re- 
 membered with gratitude as having done their part in 
 the good work; as also Elizabeth Smith, who added 
 to her literary acquirements extraordinary talents and 
 accomplishments both in music and painting. 
 
 It was after the introduction of a new manner by 
 artists who had partaken of the inspiration of Carstens 
 such as Flaxman and Fuseli, near the close of the 
 century that the greater number of English female 
 artists came into notice. It is necessary to mention 
 only the most prominent. One third, at least, of the 
 entire body in England were distinguished chiefly as 
 amateurs, while in France the contrary was true, very 
 few having been noted among the artists of this pe- 
 riod. 
 
 First let us pay some attention to the sculptors. In 
 the early part of the century Mrs. Samon modeled fig- 
 ures and historical groups in wax. It is said that the 
 world -renowned Siddons was accustomed to amuse 
 herself occasionally by attempts in sculpture. Lady 
 E. Fitzgerald, Miss Ogle, Mrs. Wilmot, and Miss An- 
 dross, were also noted for their attempts in sculpture. 
 But the place of pre-eminence, above all who had ap- 
 peared down to the later years of the eighteenth cen- 
 tury, belongs to Mrs. Darner. 
 
 ANNE SEYMOUR DAMEB. 
 
 A rarer honor it is to a nation to be able to boast 
 of a successful artist of aristocratic origin than of a 
 celebrated statesman. The subject of this sketch was 
 descended from families of the best blood of England. 
 Born in 1748, she was the only child of Field Mar- 
 shal Henry Seymour Conway (brother to the Marquis 
 of Hertford) and Caroline Campbell, only daughter of 
 
ANNE SEYHOUK DAMEK. 171 
 
 John, the fourth Duke of Argyle, and widow of the 
 Earl of Aylesbury and Elgin. "Her birth entitled 
 her to a life of ease and luxury ; her beauty exposed 
 her to the assiduities of suitors and the temptations of 
 courts^* but it was her pleasure to forget all such ad- 
 vantages, and dedicate the golden hours of her youth 
 to the task of raising a name by working in wet clay, 
 plaster of Paris, stubborn marble, and still more in- 
 tractable bronze."* 
 
 The foundation of a pure and correct taste was laid 
 in her superior education. She devoted herself early 
 to study, and acquired a knowledge of general litera- 
 ture rare among women ; became well acquainted with 
 the history and arts of the nations of antiquity, and 
 with the standard authors of England, France, and Ita- 
 ly. Her cousin, Horace Walpole, was greatly pleased 
 with her enthusiasm, and took delight in directing her 
 studies. 
 
 She had long been accustomed to gaze with admira- 
 tion on the few beautiful pieces of ancient sculpture 
 which she had opportunity of seeing, and she felt in 
 her own soul that inspiration which is almost always 
 the prophecy of success. It is said the bent of her 
 genius was discovered by an adventure with David 
 Hume, the historian. When eighteen or twenty years 
 old, Anne was walking with him one day. They 
 were accosted by an Italian boy^ who offered for sale 
 some plaster figures and vases. The historian exam- 
 ined his wares, and spent some minutes talking with 
 the little fellow. Miss Conway afterward rallied Mr. 
 Hume in company upon his taste for paltry plaster 
 casts. He replied, with a touch of sarcasm, that the 
 images she had viewed with such contempt had not 
 
 * Allan Cunningham. 
 
172 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 been made without the aid of both science and genius, 
 adding that a woman, even with all her attainments, 
 could not produce such works. The young lady form- 
 ed a determination from that moment to convince her 
 monitor of his mistake. 
 
 She procured wax and modeling tools, worked in 
 secret, and in a short time finished a head some say 
 a portrait of the philosopher, which she presented to 
 him in no small triumph. 
 
 " This is very clever," observed Hume. " It really 
 deserves praise for a first attempt ; but, remember, it 
 is much easier to model in wax than to chisel a bust 
 from marble." 
 
 The persevering girl was resolved to compel the 
 satirist to the admission that a woman could do more 
 than he had supposed. Without any announcement 
 of her design, she supplied herself with marble and all 
 the necessary implements of labor. It was not long 
 before she had copied out in marble, roughly perhaps, 
 but faithfully, the head she had modeled in wax. She 
 placed it before the historian, who was actually sur- 
 prised into admiration, though he found something 
 still to criticise in the want of fine workmanship and 
 delicate finish. His fault-finding probably went far to 
 stimulate her to new exertions. From this time the 
 impulse of genius was strong within her, and she was 
 firmly resolved even to seclude herself from the brill- 
 iant society by which she was surrounded for the pur- 
 pose of devoting her life to the pursuit she found so 
 congenial to her taste. 
 
 It could not long be concealed from the world of 
 fashion that the admired Miss Conway had forsaken 
 the mask and the dance, and was working, like any 
 day -laborer, in wet clay; that she moved amid sub- 
 
ANNE SEYMOUK DAMER. 173 
 
 dued lights ; that her glossy hair was covered with a 
 mob cap to keep out the white dust of the marble, 
 while an unsightly apron preserved her silk gown and 
 embroidered slippers ; that her white and delicate fin- 
 gers were often soiled with clay, or grasped the ham- 
 mer and the chisel. The strange story ran like wild- 
 fire among the circles of her acquaintance. Several 
 titled ladies had wielded the pencil and the brush, but 
 scarcely one could be remembered who had taken to 
 sculpture. It may well be imagined that the spirited 
 girl found pleasure in showing her independence, and 
 that she was animated by a noble ambition to carve 
 out for herself with the chisel a place among the hon- 
 ored among artists, worthy of a descendant of the Sey- 
 mours and the Campbells. Works of genius seemed 
 more than coronets to her; and noble actions, than 
 Norman blood ! 
 
 She now took lessons in modeling and the element- 
 al part of sculpture, from Cerrachi the same conspir- 
 ator who was brought to the guillotine for plotting 
 against Napoleon while she perfected herself in the 
 practical part of working in marble in the studio of 
 the elder Bacon, and studied anatomy with Cruik- 
 shanks. She produced a number of ideal heads and 
 busts, and some figures of animals, executed with 
 skill ; but her progress was slow, and she produced no 
 work of note till seven years after her marriage. 
 
 At the age of nineteen she bestowed her hand upon 
 the Hon. John Darner, the eldest son of Lord Milton, 
 and the nephew of the Earl of Dorchester. This mar- 
 riage proved a sad drawback to the improvement of 
 our young artist. Darner "heir in expectancy to 
 thirty thousand a year was at once eccentric and ex- 
 travagant. Those were the days of silk, and lace, and 
 
174 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 embroidery, and he adorned his person with all that 
 was costly, and loved to surprise his friends and vex 
 his wife by appearing thrice a day in a new suit." He 
 furnished for Miss Burney, remarks Mrs. Lee, " in her 
 celebrated novel of Cecilia, a character in real life 
 Harrington, the guardian of her heroine." He became 
 the prey of tailors and money-lenders in London ; his 
 extravagance daily increased, and he scattered a prince- 
 ly fortune in a few years. In nine years this unhappy 
 union was terminated by the suicide of the husband, 
 who shot himself with a pistol, in the Bedford Arms, 
 Covent Garden, in August, 1776. His wardrobe, which 
 was sold at auction, is said to have brought fifteen 
 thousand pounds perhaps half its cost. 
 
 The widow, left childless, availed herself of her re- 
 covered freedom to take journeys with the object of 
 gaining new ideas in the art she loved. She traveled 
 through France, Spain, and Italy, renewing her stud- 
 ies in sculpture. At this time it was the fashion for 
 ladies to take a warm interest in politics. Mrs. Darner 
 became an ardent partisan of the Whig cause, and act- 
 ive in helping to carry elections. 
 
 Mrs. Lee observes: " Gentlemen have no objection 
 to ladies being politicians if they take the right side : 
 to wit, that to which they themselves belong ; and Mrs. 
 Darner conscientiously adopted the opinions of the 
 Whig party. At that time Great Britain was waging 
 war with her American colonies. She took the part 
 of the rebellious subjects, warmly espoused our cause, 
 and bravely advanced her opinions." She was a warm 
 friend of Fox. 
 
 Walpole thus speaks of his cousin's works, which 
 soon acquired her fame as a sculptor : " Mrs. Darner's 
 busts from the life are not inferior to the antique. Her 
 
ANNE SEYMOUR DAMEK. 175 
 
 shock dog, large as life, and only not alive, lias a 
 looseness and softness in the curls that seemed impos- 
 sible to terra-cotta ; it rivals the marble one of Bernini 
 in the royal collection. As the ancients have left us 
 but five animals of equal merit with their human fig- 
 ures viz., the Barberini goat, the Tuscan boar, the 
 Mattel eagle, the eagle at Strawberry Hill, and Mr. 
 Jenning's dog the talent of Mrs. Darner must appear 
 in the most distinguished light." Cerrachi gave a 
 whole figure of Anne as the Muse of Sculpture, pre- 
 serving the graceful lightness of her form and air. 
 The poet Darwin says : 
 
 " Long with soft touch shall Darner's chisel charm ; 
 With grace delight us, and with beauty warm." 
 
 After 1780, she produced several fine specimens of 
 sculpture, both in marble and terra-cotta. She made a 
 group of sleeping dogs, in marble, for the Duke of 
 Kichmond, her brother-in-law, and another for Queen 
 Charlotte. She presented a bust of herself, in 1778, 
 to the Florentine Gallery, and executed several of her 
 titled lady relatives, which were esteemed as works of 
 great merit, and still adorn the galleries of noble con- 
 noisseurs. Two colossal heads of her workmanship, 
 representing Thames and Isis, were designed for the 
 keystones of the bridge at Henley. 
 
 Envy was busy, as it generally is, in disputing the 
 claims of this noble lady to the entire authorship of 
 her celebrated productions ; but, though they exhibit 
 a varied character, there was no proof that she availed 
 herself of more assistance than is usual for all sculp- 
 tors, both in modeling and marble-work. Subordinate 
 hands are always employed in preparing the model 
 and removing the superfluous material. 
 
 Mrs. Darner complied with the fancy of the day in 
 
176 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 idealizing the portraits of some of her friends into 
 muses and deities. To please her fast friend, Horace 
 "Walpole, she presented him with two kittens in mar- 
 ble, wrought by herself, as an addition to the curiosi- 
 ties of his villa. Still more endearing than their rela- 
 tionship was her agreement with him in political opin- 
 ions. 
 
 She had lost her father at the time she went abroad 
 in 1779. The seas were filled with the armed vessels 
 of France, America, and Great Britain, and there was 
 some danger in crossing the Channel. The sculptress 
 was protected, it is true, by her sympathy with the 
 Transatlantic " rebels" and by her character of artist. 
 However, the vessel in which she sailed encountered 
 a French man-of-war, with which a running fight was 
 kept up for four hours. But " the heroic daughter of 
 a hero" manifested both sense and coolness. The 
 French prevailed ; the packet struck its colors within 
 sight of Ostend ; but Mrs. Darner was not detained in 
 captivity. 
 
 She now devoted herself more assiduously to the 
 study of classic authors, with the view of entering 
 more fully into the feeling and character of antique 
 sculpture. She kept notes of her reflections as she 
 contemplated the works of art in Italy, with the re- 
 marks of critics. She was bent on accomplishing 
 some great work, the glory of which should eclipse 
 the lustre of her hereditary dignity. She had more 
 ambition to become distinguished as a sculptor than 
 as the descendant of the high aristocracy of Britain. 
 
 Eeturning from Italy and Spain, she took part in 
 the election that terminated in the triumph of Charles 
 Fox. Mrs. Crewe and the lovely Duchess of Devon- 
 shire joined her in canvassing for their favorite, the 
 
ANNE SEYMOUR DAMEK. 177 
 
 Whig candidate, "rustling their silks in the lowest 
 sinks of sin and misery, and, in return for the electors' 
 1 most sweet voices,' submitting, it is said, their own 
 sweet cheeks to the salutes of butchers and barge- 
 men." 
 
 An old elector said to Cunningham : " It was a fine 
 sight to see a grand lady come right smack up to us 
 hard-working mortals, with a hand held out, and a 
 ' Master, how d' ye do ?' and laugh so loud, and talk 
 so kind, and shake us by the hand, and say, ' Give us 
 your vote, worthy sir a plumper for the people's 
 friend, our friend, every body's friend.' And then, 
 sir, if we hummed and hawed, they would ask us for 
 our wives and children ; and if that didn't do, they'd 
 think nothing of a kiss ay, a dozen on 'em. Kissing 
 was nothing to them, and it came all so natural." 
 
 It is recorded, also, that Mrs. Darner was fond of 
 private theatricals, and recited poetry and personated 
 characters in plays performed at the Duke of Eich- 
 mond's and elsewhere. Her talents in high comedy 
 won deserved applause, and many of our actresses 
 would be eclipsed by her performance in the standard 
 old pieces. But though she took part in such enter- 
 tainments for the pleasure of others, her own delight 
 was in sculpture alone. Her busts in bronze, marble, 
 and terra-cotta became ornaments to the rich collections 
 of her friends. Her statue of the king in marble was 
 established in the Edinburgh Eegister Office. She 
 consecrated a monumental bust to the memory of the 
 countess her mother, whose pieces of needle- work had 
 equaled the finest paintings. She formed a design to 
 perpetuate .the memory of a noble act by Lord Wil- 
 liam Campbell, her uncle, he having once leaped from 
 a boat into the Thames, and dived down sixteen feet, to 
 
 H2 
 
178 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 save the life of a drowning man. This work was nev- 
 er finished in marble. 
 
 Mrs. Darner's heroes, out of her own family, were 
 Fox, Nelson, and Napoleon ; and she was acquainted 
 with them all. She executed the busts of the first 
 two, and it was one of her fancies to record in a small 
 book the remarks of " the Napoleon of the waves" 
 during his conversations with her. During her visit 
 in France she formed a friendship for the Viscountess 
 Beauharnais ; and many years afterward a French 
 gentleman brought her a letter from the wife of the 
 First Consul, with a splendid present of porcelain. 
 She was invited to Paris by her former friend, who 
 desired to present her to Napoleon. The latter asked 
 her for a bust of Fox, which Mrs. Darner brought to 
 the emperor on a subsequent visit to Paris. The em- 
 peror presented her with a splendid snuff-box and his 
 portrait set with diamonds. 
 
 Walpole died in 1797, bequeathing to this daughter 
 of General Con way for her life, his Gothic villa of 
 " Strawberry Hill," with its rich and rare contents- 
 books and artistic curiosities and two thousand 
 pounds a year to keep the place in repair. It has 
 "become famous from its connection with the studies 
 of the accomplished author of the Castle of Otranto." 
 Here Mrs. Darner was happy in entertaining her friends, 
 not only with feasts of good things at her table, but 
 with private theatrical performances, in which she oft- 
 en took part. Joanna Baillie, the matchless Siddons, 
 Mrs. Garrick, Mrs. Berry and her daughters, were 
 among her chosen companions. The classic villa, 
 however, had been entailed upon Lord Waldegrave, 
 and Mrs. Darner was induced to give it up to him ten 
 years previous to her own death. She purchased 
 
ANNE SEYMOUR DAMER. 179 
 
 York House in the neighborhood, the birth-place of 
 Queen Anne. This was her summer residence, her 
 winter house being in Park Lane. 
 
 As she approached the close of life, and saw the 
 heroes of her early enthusiasm pass away, her love of 
 sculpture increased. She thought the art might be 
 made to render important aid in the civilization and 
 religious improvement of Hindostan and the Indian 
 isles, and often talked with Sir Alexander Johnston 
 of substituting Christian subjects in sculpture for the 
 idols of heathenism in those regions. She was, unfor- 
 tunately, no longer young enough for such an enter- 
 prise ; yet the idea was a noble one. She executed 
 the bust of Nelson in marble for a present to the King 
 of Tanjore a Hindoo sovereign of power and influ- 
 ence in the south of Asia. That specimen of her skill 
 may have tended to disseminate in that remote nation 
 a desire for statuary by British artists. 
 
 A list of thirty of her works has been published. 
 A beautiful bust of herself, executed by her in marble, 
 was in the collection of Eichard Payne Knight, and 
 was bequeathed by him to the British Museum. Her 
 group of " The Death of Cleopatra," represented the 
 closing scene of Shakspeare's tragedy. The Queen of 
 Egypt, having failed to excite the pity of Octavius 
 Caesar, and resolved to follow her departed love, has 
 applied the " venomous worm of Nile" to her breast. 
 The words 
 
 "Come, mortal wretch, 
 With thy sharp teeth this knot intrinsicate 
 Of life at once untie," 
 
 are embodied in the expression. 
 
 This tasteful composition was modeled in basso- 
 relievo, and was engraved by Hellyer as a vignette 
 title to the second volume of Boy dell's Shakspeare. 
 
180 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Mrs. Darner's health, declined in the spring of 1828, 
 and on the 28th of May she -departed this life, in her 
 eightieth year. She left to her relative Sir Alexander 
 Johnston all her works in marble, bronze, and terra- 
 cotta, and her mother's needle pictures, with directions 
 that her apron and tools should be buried in her coffin, 
 and that her manuscript memoranda and correspond- 
 ence should be destroyed. She was interred in the 
 church of Tunbridge, Kent. 
 
 Whatever difference of opinion there may be re- 
 specting the genius and works of this sculptress, there 
 can be none in pronouncing her an extraordinary 
 woman. She would have been called "strong-minded" 
 in our day, for she sent a friendly message to Napo- 
 leon on the eve of Waterloo, canvassed an election for 
 Fox, and entertained Queen Caroline during her trial ! 
 In her estimation, genius and generous impulse were 
 above the conventionalities of birth and fashion. It 
 is difficult to estimate fairly the productions of a fa- 
 vored child of wealth and splendor, and one eminent 
 for learning and wit. Her works have been severely 
 criticised, and those who most admire her independent 
 career, are disposed to deny her the possession of great 
 originality and such a practical knowledge of art as 
 would enable her to finish with a good degree of per- 
 fection. It has been remarked, however, that her con- 
 ception was generally superior to her execution. 
 
MARY MOSES. 181 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Mary Moser. Nollekens' House. Skill in Flower-painting. The 
 Fashions. Queen Charlotte. Patience Wright. Birth in New 
 Jersey. Quaker Parents. Childish Taste for Modeling. Mar- 
 riage. Widowhood. Wax - modeling. Rivals Madame Tus- 
 saud. Residence in England. Sympathy with America in Re- 
 bellion. Correspondence with Franklin. Intelligence conveyed. 
 Freedom of Speech to Majesty. Franklin's Postscript. "The 
 Promethean Modeler." Letter to Jefferson. Patriotism. Art 
 the Fashion. Aristocratic lady Artists. Princesses Painting. 
 Lady Beauclerk. Walpole's "Beauclerk Closet." Designs and 
 Portrait. Lady Lucan. Her Illustrations of Shakspeare. Wal- 
 pole's Criticism. Other Works. Mary Benwell and others. 
 Anna Smyters and others. Madame Prestel. Mrs. Grace. Mrs. 
 Wright. Flower-painters. Catherine Read and others. Maria 
 Cosway. Peril in Infancy. Lessons. Resolution to take the 
 Veil. Visit to London. Marriage. Cosway's Painting. Vanity 
 and Extravagance. The beautiful Italian Paintress. Cosway's 
 Prudence and Management. Brilliant evening Receptions. 
 Aristocratic Friends. The Epigram on the Gate. Splendid new 
 House and Furniture. Failing Health. France and Italy. In- 
 stitution at Lodi. Singular Occurrence. Death of Cosway. 
 Return to Lodi. Maria's Style and Works. 
 
 MARY MOSER. 
 
 THIS lady, a member of the Koyal Academy in Lon- 
 don, is mentioned by the biographers of Nollekens as 
 " skillful in painting flowers, sarcastic when she held 
 the pen." She liked to visit the illiterate Kollekens, 
 at whose house, with a cup of tea, she occasionally en- 
 joyed the company of Dr. Johnson. Smith does not 
 hesitate to charge her with having set her cap at Fu- 
 
182 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 seli, "but his heart, unfortunately, had already been 
 deeply pierced by Angelica Kauffman." 
 
 She was the daughter of a German artist in enamel- 
 ing, but was educated in England. She was truly 
 wonderful in flower-pieces. The tasteful decorations 
 of some new apartments in Windsor Palace were exe- 
 cuted by her hand. 
 
 While in London she wrote thus to her friend Mrs. 
 Lloyd : 
 
 "Come to London and admire our plumes; we 
 sweep the sky ! A duchess wears six feathers, a lady 
 four, and every milkmaid one at each corner of her 
 cap! * * * Fashion is grown a monster; pray tell 
 your operator that your hair must measure just three 
 quarters of a yard from the extremity of one wing to 
 the other." 
 
 Queen Charlotte took particular notice of Miss Moser, 
 and for a considerable time employed her for the dec- 
 oration of one chamber, which her majesty command- 
 ed to be called Miss Moser's room, and for which the 
 queen paid upward of nine hundred pounds. 
 
 PATIENCE WRIGHT. 
 
 This extraordinary woman, as Dunlap rightly calls 
 her, was born, like West, among a people who pro- 
 fessed to eschew all that is imaginative or pictorial. 
 Her parents, who were Quakers, lived at Bordentown, 
 New Jersey, where Patience Lovell was born in 1725. 
 Her uncommon talent for imitation was shown long 
 before she had an opportunity of seeing any work of 
 art. The dough meant for the oven, or the clay found 
 near her dwelling, supplied her with materials out of 
 which she moulded figures that bore a recognizable 
 resemblance to human beings, and, ere long, to the 
 persons with whom she was most familiar. 
 
PATIENCE WRIGHT. 183 
 
 She married Joseph Wright of Bordentown in 1748. 
 He lived only nineteen years. Before 1772 the lady 
 had gained not a' little celebrity in some of the cities 
 of the United States for her astonishing likenesses in 
 wax. A widow, with three children dependent on 
 her for support, she was obliged to seek a larger field 
 for her efforts. The prospect of success in London 
 was good, and to London she went. 
 
 There is testimony in English journals of the day 
 that her works were thought extraordinary of their 
 kind. She bade fair to rival the famous Madame 
 Tussaud. Her conversational powers and general in- 
 telligence gained her the attention and friendship of 
 several among the distinguished men of the day. 
 Though a resident of England, her sympathies were 
 engaged in behalf of her countrymen during the strug- 
 gle of the American Ee volution. It is said she even 
 rendered important aid to the cause by sending to 
 American officers intelligence of the designs of the 
 British government. She corresponded with Frank- 
 lin while he was in Paris ; and as soon as a new gen- 
 eral was appointed, or a squadron began to be fitted 
 out, he was sure to know it. She was often able to 
 gain information in families where she visited, and to 
 transmit to her American friends accounts of the num- 
 ber of British troops and the places of their destina- 
 tion. 
 
 At one time she had frequent access to Buckingham 
 House, and was accustomed to express her sentiments 
 freely to their majesties, who were amused with her 
 originality. The great Chatham honored her with his 
 visits, and she took the full-length likeness of him, 
 which appears in a glass case in "Westminster Abbey. 
 
 The following is the postscript to one of Franklin's 
 
184 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 letters, offering service should she return to America 
 through France: 
 
 "My grandson, whom you may remember when a 
 little saucy boy at school, being my amanuensis in 
 writing the within letter, has been diverting me with 
 his remarks. He conceives that your figures can not 
 be packed up without damage from any thing you 
 could fill the boxes with to keep them steady. He 
 supposes, therefore, that you must put them into post- 
 chaises, two and two, which will make a long train 
 upon the road, and be a very expensive conveyance ; 
 but, as they will eat nothing at the inns, you may the 
 better afford it. When they come to Dover, he is sure, 
 they are so like life and nature, that the master of the 
 packet will not receive them on board without pass- 
 ports. It will require, he says, five or six of the long 
 French stage-coaches to convey them as passengers 
 from Calais to Paris ; and a ship with good accommo- 
 dations to convey them to America, where all the 
 
 world will wonder at your clemency to Lord N , 
 
 that, having it in your power to hang or send him to 
 the lighters, you had generously reprieved him for 
 transportation." 
 
 Mrs. Wright was sometimes called " Sibylla," as she 
 professed to foretell political events. In a London 
 magazine of 1775 she is called "the Promethean mod- 
 eler," with the remark : " In her very infancy she dis- 
 covered such a striking genius, and began making 
 faces with new bread and putty to such an extent 
 that she was advised to try her skill in wax." 
 
 Her likenesses of the king, queen, Lord Temple, 
 Lord Chatham, Barry, Wilkes, and others, attracted 
 universal attention. Critics gave her credit for won- 
 derful natural abilities, and said she would have been a 
 
PATIENCE WEIGHT. 185 
 
 miracle if the advantages of a liberal education had fall- 
 en to her lot. Noticing her quick and brilliant eyes, 
 their glance was said to " penetrate and dart through 
 the person looked on." She had a faculty of distin- 
 guishing the characters and dispositions of her visit- 
 ors, and was rarely mistaken in her judgment of 
 them. 
 
 Dunlap farther speaks of " an energetic wildness in 
 her manner. While conversing she was busy model- 
 ing, both hands being under her apron." 
 
 Her eldest daughter married Mr. Platt, an Ameri- 
 can ; she inherited some of her mother's talents. She 
 became well known in New York about 1787 by her 
 modeling in wax. The younger was the wife of Hopp- 
 ner, the rival of Stuart and Lawrence in portrait-paint- 
 ing. The young lady's sweet face may be recognized 
 in some historical compositions. The British Consul 
 at Venice, mentioned by Moore in his Life of Byron, 
 was the grandson of Mrs. Wright. 
 
 Mrs. Wright lost favor with George III. by her 
 earnest reproofs for his sanction of the war with Amer- 
 ica. She went to Paris in 1781, but was in London 
 in 1785, when she wrote to Jefferson that she was de- 
 lighted that her son Joseph had painted the best like- 
 ness of Washington of any painter in America. Wash- 
 ington himself said he " should think himself happy 
 to have his bust done by Mrs. Wright, whose uncom- 
 mon talents," etc. 
 
 She wished not only to make a likeness of the hero, 
 but of those gentlemen who had assisted at signing 
 the treaty of peace. " To shame the English king," 
 she says, "I would go to any trouble and expense, to 
 add my mite to the stock of honor due to Adams, 
 Jefferson, and others, to send to America." And she 
 
186 WOMEtf ARTISTS. 
 
 offered to go herself to Paris and mould the likeness 
 of Jefferson. She wished to consult him how best to 
 honor her country by holding up the likenesses of her 
 eminent men, either in painting or wax- work; and 
 hinted at the danger of sending Washington's picture 
 to London, from the enmity of the government and 
 the espionage of the police ; the latter, she observes, 
 having "all the folly, without the ability, of the 
 French." 
 
 The exercise of artistic accomplishment was now so 
 popular, that culture in painting, drawing, and etch- 
 ing became general in the education of young ladies. 
 The fashion of patronizing the arts, too, was in vogue 
 among women of the highest rank. Lady Dorothea 
 Saville painted portraits and drew admirable sketches. 
 Lady Louisa de Greville and her sister Augusta were 
 ardent connoisseurs. The Countess Lavinia Spencer 
 was celebrated for her skill in etching ; and Lady Am- 
 herst, Lady Temple, and Lady Henry Fitzgerald, were 
 noted artists. 
 
 Two princesses of the royal family took pleasure in 
 painting. Princess Elizabeth drew with taste and 
 skill. She engraved a " Birth of Love" after Tom- 
 kins, and produced several original specimens of great 
 beauty. One of her fancy -pieces was " Cupid turned 
 Volunteer," which appeared, in 1804, in a series of 
 prints engraved with poetical illustrations. The de- 
 signs were beautiful. Three years later, a series of 
 twenty-four etchings by her royal highness was pub- 
 lished. They evinced spirit and taste, and a deep 
 feeling for the beautiful. 
 
 Charlotte Matilda, afterward Queen of Wurtemberg, 
 drew and painted landscapes after the manner of Wa- 
 terloo. 
 
LADY BEAUCLERK LADY LUCAN. 187 
 
 LADY DIANA BEAUCLERK. 
 
 Lady Diana Spencer, the wife of Topham Beauclerk, 
 and the daughter of the Duke of Marlborough, was 
 celebrated as an amateur artist, and produced draw- 
 ings that gained the enthusiastic admiration of Wai- 
 pole. In 1776 he built a hexagonal tower, which he 
 called " Beauclerk Closet," as it was constructed " pur- 
 posely for the reception of seven incomparable draw- 
 ings by Lady Diana, illustrating scenes in his l Myste- 
 rious Mother.' " They were conceived and executed 
 in a fortnight. In 1796 the lady produced designs for 
 a translation of Burger's ballad of " Leonore," by her 
 nephew, published in folio the following year. Lady 
 Diana also finished a series of designs for a splendid 
 edition of Dryden's Fables in folio. These show that 
 she possessed an elegant and fertile imagination, with 
 a truly classic taste. In her portrait of the Duchess 
 of Devonshire, the nymph-like grace of the figure is 
 like what a Grecian sculptor would give to the form 
 of a dryad or river-goddess. 
 
 She died in 1808, at the age of seventy -four. 
 
 MARGARET, COUNTESS OF LUCAN, 
 
 possessed a remarkable talent for copying miniatures 
 and illuminations. She completed a series of embel- 
 lishments of Shakspeare's historical plays, in five folio 
 volumes, now preserved in the library at Althorp. 
 For sixteen years she devoted herself to the pursuit, 
 indulging in " the pleasurable toil" of illustrating that 
 great work. She commenced this enterprise when 
 fifty years of age, and ended it at sixty-six. Walpole 
 says: " Whatever of taste, beauty, and judgment in 
 decoration, by means of landscapes, flowers, birds, her- 
 
188 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 aldic ornaments and devices, etc., could dress our im- 
 mortal bard in a yet more fascinating form, has been 
 accomplished by a noble hand, which undertook a 
 Herculean task, and with a true delicacy and finish of 
 execution that has been rarely equaled." 
 
 Lady Lucan also copied the most exquisite works 
 of Isaac and Peter Oliver, Hoskins, and Cooper ; " with 
 genius," says her admiring friend, "that almost depre- 
 ciated those masters;" and "transferring the vigor of 
 Eaphael to her copies in water-colors." She died in 
 1815. 
 
 The Countess of Tott exhibited in 1804 her portrait 
 of the famous Elfi Bey. Lord Orford speaks of Mrs. 
 Delany's skill in painting and imitating flowers with 
 cuttings of colored paper. This lady is mentioned by 
 Madame d'Arblay, in her Diary, as the queen's friend, 
 the wife of Patrick Delany, who was the intimate friend 
 of Dean Swift. 
 
 Among a host of minor women artists may be men- 
 tioned Mary Benwell, who painted portraits and min- 
 iatures in oil and crayons, exhibited from 1762 to 
 1783. She married Code, who was in the army, and 
 purchased rank for him. He was stationed at Gibral- 
 tar, where he died. Mrs. Code retired from her pro- 
 fession in 1800. Miss Anna Ladd, skilled in the same 
 branch, died in 1770. Agatha van der Myn also 
 painted flowers, fruits, and birds in England. 
 
 Anna Smyters, the wife of a sculptor and architect, 
 acquired celebrity for her miniatures and water-color 
 paintings. One, representing a wind-mill with sails 
 spread, a miller with his sack on his shoulder, a car- 
 riage and horse, and a road leading to a village, was 
 complete, of a size so small that it could be covered 
 by a grain of corn. 
 
ENGLISH FEMALE ARTISTS. 189 
 
 Miss Anna Jemima Provis was said to have made 
 known to some English artists the receipt for coloring 
 used by the great Venetian masters. It had been 
 brought from Italy by her grandfather. 
 
 Mrs. Dards opened a new exhibition with flower- 
 paintings, in the richest colors. They were exact im- 
 itations of nature, done with fish-bones. 
 
 Mrs. Hoadley, wife of the Bishop of Winchester, 
 was well skilled in painting. Caroline Watson was 
 eminent in engraving. She was born in London, 
 1760. Keceiving instruction from her father, she en- 
 graved several subjects in mezzotinto and in the dot- 
 ted manner. Her productions were said to possess 
 great merit. Miss Hartley, who etched admirably, pre- 
 ceded her. 
 
 Maria Catharine Prestel was the wife of a German 
 painter and engraver. She aided him in some of his 
 best plates, particularly landscapes. The marriage was 
 not happy, and the pair separated. Madame Prestel 
 came to England in 1786, where she engraved prints 
 in a style surpassed by no artist for spirit and delicacy. 
 She made etchings, and finished in aquatinta in a fine 
 picturesque manner. She died in London in 1794. 
 
 Mrs. Grace exhibited her works seven years in the 
 Society of Artists. They were chiefly portraits in oil, 
 rather heavy in coloring. She attempted a historical 
 subject in 1767 : Antigonus, Seleucus, and Stratonice. 
 Her residence was in London. 
 
 Mrs. Wright, the daughter of Mr. Guise one of the 
 gentlemen of his majesty's Chapel Eoyal at St. James's, 
 and master of the choristers at Westminster was a 
 successful painter in miniature. She married, unfor- 
 tunately, a French emigrant, who shortly afterward 
 left her, and went to France, where he died. Her sec- 
 
190 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 ond husband was Mr. "Wright, a miniature-painter. 
 She died in 1802. 
 
 Fiorillo also mentions Betty Langley, Miss Noel, 
 Miss Linwood, Miss Bell, Madame Beaurepas, and the 
 eldest daughter of Smirke the academician. 
 
 Walpole mentions Elizabeth Neal as a distinguish- 
 ed paintress, who went to Holland. She painted flow- 
 ers so admirably, that she was said to rival the famous 
 Zeghers. 
 
 Among English flower-painters should not be for- 
 gotten Miss Elizabeth Blackwell, Miss Gray, Anna 
 Ladd, Anna Lee, and Mary Lawrence, who busied her- 
 self with a splendid work on roses painting and en- 
 graving the illustrations. 
 
 Catherine Kead painted beautiful family scenes, and 
 obtained considerable reputation as a painter of por- 
 traits, both in oil and crayon. A crayon, in the pos- 
 session of a lady of New York, was recognized as hers 
 by an eminent American painter. She lived near St. 
 James's, and frequently sent pieces to the exhibition. 
 Several mezzotint prints after her pictures were pub- 
 lished. In 1770 she went to the East Indies, staid a 
 few years, and returned to England. Her niece. Miss 
 Beckson, also an artist, who went with her to the East 
 Indies, afterward married a baronet. 
 
 Some of Anna Trevingard's pictures were engraved. 
 Miss Drax and Miss Martin engraved from Tomkins 
 and Der Petit; Miss Morland and Catharine Mary 
 Fanshawe drew and engraved twenty pictures of his- 
 torical scenes. The zealous and industrious Mary 
 Spilsbury's studies from country life, and particularly 
 those in which she represented her rural scenes and 
 sports of children, have been reproduced in engravings. 
 
 It is certainly surprising that engraving and flower- 
 
MAEIA COSWAY. 191 
 
 painting did not boast at this time a greater number 
 of distinguished followers. 
 
 It now becomes our task to linger a moment over 
 the history of a paintress whose genius and attainments 
 won for her an enviable reputation, and whose life ex- 
 perience illustrates the condition and circumstances of 
 art amid the higher classes of English society. 
 
 MARIA COSWAY. 
 
 Maria Hadfield was the daughter of an Englishman 
 who became rich by keeping a hotel in Leghorn. It 
 is said he lost four children in infancy, and detected a 
 maid-servant in the avowal that she sent them to heav- 
 en out of love, and meant that the fifth, Maria, should 
 follow the rest. The woman was imprisoned for life, 
 and the child was sent to a convent to be educated. 
 There she received lessons in music and drawing, in 
 common with other branches. [Returning home, she 
 devoted herself to painting, and the acquaintance she 
 afterward formed at Home with Battomi, Mengs, Ma- 
 ron, and Fuseli, with her contemplation of the works 
 of art in churches and palaces, contributed to the far- 
 ther development of her talents. 
 
 At her father's death she formed the resolution of 
 entering a cloister, but her mother persuaded her to 
 accompany her first to London. There the young girl 
 became acquainted with the interesting and popular 
 Angelica Kauffman, who easily prevailed on her to 
 relinquish all idea of taking the veil. 
 
 The change of resolution was followed not long aft- 
 erward by Maria's marriage with Eichard Cosway, a 
 portrait and miniature painter, who occupied a high 
 position, and whose soft, pliant, and idealized style 
 was well adapted to please rich patrons whose van- 
 
192 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 itj desired the most favorable representation. In his 
 carefully-finished miniatures the most ordinary feat- 
 ures were transformed into beauty, and pale, watery 
 eyes were made to sparkle with intellectual expression. 
 This faculty of beautifying rendered him the favorite 
 of the wealthy and aristocratic. He was, moreover, 
 a member of the Academy, and had the honor of being 
 called a friend by the Prince of "Wales, circumstances 
 which contributed still more to make him the "fash- 
 ion." But, unfortunately, he had not good sense 
 enough to wear these honors meekly. Vanity led him 
 into ridiculous extravagances. He dressed in the ex- 
 treme of the mode, and kept his servants costumed in 
 the like absurd manner ; he gave expensive entertain- 
 ments, and succeeded in drawing around him a num- 
 ber of frivolous young sprigs of nobility, who would 
 do him the favor of drinking his Champagne and scat- 
 tering his money at play, and the next morning would 
 amuse their " set" by laughing heartily over the pre- 
 tensions of the "parvenu." 
 
 Such was the situation of Cosway when he fell in 
 love with Maria Hadfield, wooed, and won her, and 
 took his wife to his magnificently furnished house. 
 Maria was very young, and, having come recently 
 from Italy, was inexpert both in the English language 
 and English customs. Her fashionable husband chose 
 to keep her strictly isolated from all society till she 
 should learn to appear with dignity and grace in the 
 distinguished circles where he meant she should move. 
 
 Meanwhile he caused her to complete her artistic 
 education, and to practice on the lessons she received. 
 Her miniatures soon gained such appreciation that the 
 highest praise was awarded to them of all that appear- 
 ed at the Royal Academy exhibitions. Maria was 
 
MARIA COS WAY. 193 
 
 even pointed out in the street as the successful artist. 
 Then arrived the time when, in Cosway's opinion, she 
 was fitted to become the central point of attraction in 
 his house for the brilliant society he loved. 
 
 Very soon the talk every where was of the young, 
 beautiful, and gifted Italian. Cosway's receptions were 
 crowded, and half the carriages at his door contain- 
 ed sitters ambitious of the honor of being painted by 
 the hand of his lovely wife. Her portrait of the beau- 
 tiful Duchess of Devonshire in the character of Spen- 
 ser's Cynthia raised her to the pinnacle of reputation. 
 
 Cosway, however, was too prudent, and, at the same 
 time, too proud to permit his wife to be esteemed a 
 professional painter, for he knew well that her pro- 
 ductions would have greater value as the work of an 
 amateur. To be painted by her was thus represented 
 and regarded as a special favor; and costly presents 
 were frequently added to the customary payments for 
 her pictures. 
 
 In another matter the husband was more indulgent. 
 Maria was passionately fond of music, and he permit- 
 ted her to exercise her gift of song at the brilliant 
 companies invited to his magnificent abode. This 
 completed the enchantment. Visitors came in such 
 numbers that the house would scarcely contain them ; 
 and all who were fashionable, or had any aristocratic 
 pretensions, were sure to be found in Cosway's draw- 
 ing-rooms. There would be the poet whose latest ef- 
 fusion was the rage in high circles ; the author of the 
 last sensation-speech in Parliament ; any rising star in 
 art, or any hero of a wonderful adventure ; in short, 
 all the lions of London were gathered in that place of 
 resort, to see and to be seen, and, above all, to listen 
 to the charming Cosway. The Honorable Mrs. Da- 
 
 I 
 
194 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 mer, Lady Lyttleton, the Countess of Aylesbury, Lady 
 Cecilia Johnston, and the Marchioness of Townshend, 
 were Maria's most intimate friends, and were usually 
 present to add splendor to her receptions ; while among 
 the men were General Paoli, Lords Sandys and Er- 
 skine, and his royal highness the Prince of Wales, the 
 foreign embassadors being also invited upon special 
 occasions. 
 
 The mansion in Pall Mall was soon found too small 
 to accommodate such an influx of visitors, and to dis- 
 play its master's works and finery. A new one was 
 taken in Oxford Street. 
 
 Several of Cosway's biographers mention the fact 
 that the figure of a lion beside the entrance put it into 
 some wag's head to stick on the door an epigram that 
 had a severe point, as the foppish little painter was 
 "not much unlike a monkey in the face :" 
 
 "When a man to a fair for a show brings a lion, 
 'Tis usual a monkey the sign-post to tie on ; 
 But here the old custom reversed is seen, 
 For the lion's without, and the monkey's within." 
 
 The artist left the house in consequence of this fool- 
 ish joke, and fitted up another in the same street, with 
 the magnificence of a fairy palace. The author of 
 "Nollekens and his Times" says: 
 
 "His new house he fitted up in so picturesque, 
 and, indeed, so princely a style, that I regret drawings 
 were not made of the general appearance of each apart- 
 ment ; for many of the rooms were more like scenes 
 of enchantment, penciled by a poet's fancy, than any 
 thing perhaps before displayed in a domestic habita- 
 tion. His furniture consisted of ancient chairs, couch- 
 es, and conversation-stools, elaborately carved and gilt, 
 and covered with the most costly Genoa velvets ; es- 
 
MARIA COSWAY. 195 
 
 critoirs of ebony, inlaid with mother-of-pearl; and 
 rich caskets for antique gems, exquisitely enameled, 
 and adorned with onyxes, opals, rubies, and emeralds. 
 There were also cabinets of ivory, curiously wrought ; 
 mosaic tables set with jasper, blood-stone, and lapis 
 lazuli, having their feet carved into the claws of lions 
 and eagles; screens of old raised Oriental Japan; 
 massive musical clocks, richly chased with ormolu 
 and tortoise-shell ; ottomans superbly damasked ; Per- 
 sian and other carpets, with corresponding hearth-rugs, 
 bordered with ancient family crests, and armorial en- 
 signs in the centre ; and rich hangings of English 
 tapestry. The carved chimney-pieces were adorned 
 with the choicest bronzes, models in wax, and terra- 
 cotta; the tables were covered with old Sevre, blue 
 Mandarin, Nankin, and Dresden China ; and the cab- 
 inets were surmounted with crystal cups, adorned with 
 the York and Lancaster roses, which might probably 
 have graced the splendid banquets of the proud "Wol- 
 sey." 
 
 But splendor, fashionable position, success as an art- 
 ist, and the friendship of princes and nobles could not 
 make Richard Cosway happy. He saw the sneers lurk- 
 ing beneath the smiles of his aristocratic guests, and he 
 heard the rumor that he was accused by other artists 
 of using his talents to flatter the great, whose fleeting 
 favor could not, after all, confer upon him lasting repu- 
 tation. Maria's health, too, began to fail ; and, as the 
 London climate was no longer endurable for her, her 
 husband took her to travel on the Continent. They 
 went to Paris and Flanders. One day, as they walk- 
 ed in the Gallery of the Louvre, Cosway pointed to 
 the naked wall, and said his cartoons would look well 
 in that place. He presented them to the French king, 
 
196 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 who accepted and hung them up, giving the painter 
 in return four splendid pieces of Gobelin tapestry, 
 which Cosway presented to the Prince of Wales. 
 
 With improved health, Mrs. Cosway returned to 
 England and resumed her brilliant parties. But her 
 spirits again failing, she accompanied her brother to 
 Italy, expecting her husband to join her. 
 
 Three years' residence in that soft clime quite re- 
 stored her health, and she set out on her return to Lon- 
 don. A new and terrible trial awaited her there : she 
 was called to mourn the death of her only daughter. 
 
 Again she departed for France, and, after the break- 
 ing out of the war between that country and England, 
 pursued her journey to Italy. She established at Lodi 
 a college for the education of young ladies on a plan 
 she had arranged for a similar institution at Lyons. 
 
 On the establishment of peace she returned to En- 
 gland, and became the tender nurse of her invalid 
 husband, trying to solace the weary hours which were 
 passed in weakness and pain. 
 
 Upon Mrs. Cos way's return, Smith informs us, "she 
 had caused the body of their departed child, which 
 her husband had preserved in an embalmed state with- 
 in a marble sarcophagus that stood in the drawing- 
 room of his house in Stratford Place, to be conveyed 
 to Bunhill Eow, where it was interred, sending the 
 sarcophagus to Mr. Nollekens, the sculptor, to take 
 care of for a time. It is a curious coincidence that 
 the same hour this sarcophagus was removed from Mr. 
 Nolleken's residence, Mr. Cosway died in the carriage 
 of his old friend, Miss Udney, who had been accustom- 
 ed, during his infirm state, occasionally to give him 
 an airing," and had taken him out that morning, as 
 the weather was fine. 
 
MAEIA COSWAY. 197 
 
 Maria heard the sound of the returning wheels, and, 
 hastening down to receive her husband, found only 
 his lifeless corpse. He had died suddenly, upon a 
 third and last attack of paralysis, July 4, 1821, at the 
 advanced age of eighty. 
 
 The widow returned to Lodi, where her ladies' col- 
 lege was still flourishing. The place was endeared to 
 her by many happy memories, and there she was loved 
 and respected by a large circle of friends. She died 
 in 1821. 
 
 In her style Mrs. Cosway appears to have taken 
 much from Flaxman and Fuseli. In many of her 
 works something fantastic is embodied, which is asso- 
 ciated with more of the wild and terrible than we us- 
 ually find in the creations of a mind at ease. No 
 doubt her inconsolable grief for the loss of her child 
 was the cause of this unfeminine peculiarity. She 
 originated compositions from Virgil and Homer, as 
 well as from Spenser and Shakspeare. 
 
 The engraving from a portrait of Maria Cosway rep- 
 resents her in the bloom of youth, with a profusion of 
 light hair dressed after the then prevailing mode. 
 The fresh and delicate loveliness of the face is most 
 attractive, and there is a wonderful beauty in the large, 
 soft eyes, and the artless innocence that beams in their 
 expression. The celebrated Mrs. Cowley, in a letter 
 to her, thus speaks of her portrait: " If you can draw 
 every body as justly as the fair Maria Cosway, you 
 will be the first portrait-painter in the kingdom." 
 
 She. painted a portrait of Madame Le Brun. One 
 of her latest works was a picture representing Mad- 
 ame Eecamier as a guardian angel watching a slum- 
 bering child. " The Winter's Day," in twelve pieces, 
 was a series by her, and she also published a book of 
 
198 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 drawings jointly with Hopner. Her "Lama," exhib- 
 ited at the Eoyal Academy in 1788, showed a female 
 figure reclining by a stream; and the striking like- 
 ness to Mrs. Fitzherbert caused no little sensation. 
 
 MADAME TUSSAUD. 
 
 Madame Tussaud's famous wax- work collection was 
 first opened in Paris about 1770, by M. Courcius, her 
 uncle. Though consisting then chiefly of busts, with a 
 few fall-length figures, it attracted much attention as 
 a novelty ; and Louis XYI. was wont to amuse him- 
 self by placing living figures, costumed, among the 
 wax ones. In 1802 Madame Tussaud opened her ex- 
 hibition in London ; afterward visiting all the large 
 towns in Great Britain. Her rooms were large and 
 splendidly decorated, and her figures were magnifi- 
 cently dressed some in their own royal robes, with 
 crowns, stars, orders, and regal finery. Among the 
 historical groups is one of Henry VIII. and his fami- 
 ly. The exhibition is still kept up in the largest sa- 
 loon in Europe, more than forty persons being kept 
 constantly employed in the care of it. 
 
CLOSE OF THE GOLDEN AGE. 199 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE' EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Close of the golden Age of Art in Trance. Corruption of Manners. 
 Influence of female Genius. Reign of Louis XVI. Female 
 Energy in the Revolution. Charlotte Corday. Greater Number 
 of female Artists in Germany. Reasons why. French Women 
 devoted to Engraving. Stamp-cutters. A Sculptress enamored. 
 A few Paintresses. The Number increasing. Influence of the 
 great French Masters. Sevres-painting. Genre-painting. Dis- 
 ciples of Greuze. Portrait-painting in vogue. Caroline Sattler. 
 Flower-painters, etc. Engravers. Two eminent Paintresses. 
 Adelaide Vincent. Marriage. Portraits and other Works. The 
 Revolution. Elizabeth Le Brim. Talent for Painting. Her Fa- 
 ther's Delight. Instruction. Friendship with Vernet. Poverty 
 and Labor. Avaricious Step-father. Her Earnings squandered. 
 Success and Temptation. Acquaintance with Le Brun. Ma- 
 ternal Counsels to Marriage. Secret Marriage. Warnings too 
 late. The Mask falls. Luxury for the Husband, Labor and Pri- 
 vation for the Wife. Success and Scandal. French Society. 
 Friendship with Marie Antoinette. La Harpe's Poem. Evening 
 Receptions. Splendid Entertainments. Scarcity of Seats. Petits 
 Soupers. The Grecian Banquet. Reports concerning it. De- 
 parture from France. Triumphal Progress. Reception in Bologna. 
 In Rome. In Naples. In Florence. Madame Le Brun's Por- 
 trait Goethe's Remarks. New Honors. Reception at Vienna. 
 An old Friend in Berlin. Residence in Russia. Return to 
 France. Loyalty. Her Pictures. Death of her Husband and 
 Daughter. Advanced Age. Autobiography. An emblematic 
 Life. 
 
 THE golden age of French literature and art came 
 to a close with the life of Louis XIV. A shadow only 
 of that fortunate epoch lingered during the years suc- 
 ceeding, and the general corruption of manners soon 
 obliterated even that. But in the reign of Louis XV. 
 
200 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 were glimpses of a better state of things, and the in- 
 fluence of female genius and merit was apparent, as a 
 long list of names in literature can testify. Vice held 
 sway, however, in the latter years of this monarch, and 
 hypocrisy became the only homage paid by the court 
 to virtue. 
 
 The sceptre passed into the hands of Louis XVI., a 
 feeble prince, whose virtues were those of the man, 
 not the sovereign. When the throne was shattered, 
 and revolution broke out, the women of France re- 
 gained their energy. They were heroines under the 
 sway of the Decemvirs. What self-sacrifice, for exam- 
 ple, can outshine that of Charlotte Corday the greater 
 than Brutus? And what was begun by a woman, a 
 woman completed: Madame Cabarrus shared in the 
 glory of those great events ! Those days had writers, 
 too, whom posterity has crowned with the garland 
 woven by their contemporaries. 
 In comparing woman's progress and her cultivation 
 of art in France with those of other nations, and espe- 
 cially the German, we may notice important differ- 
 ences. The number of female artists was far greater 
 in Germany, perhaps because many cities in that land 
 were central points, affording employment to labor, 
 and appreciation to those who devoted themselves to 
 the profession ; whereas in France Paris alone was the 
 great rendezvous. There were, also, several branches 
 of art cultivated in Germany which in France were 
 little practiced by women, such as landscape-painting, 
 for instance. The French women devoted themselves 
 much more to engraving than in Germany ; in fact, 
 engravers formed the majority of female artists in 
 France, where, moreover, female effort was more in a 
 strictly business line than in any other country. With 
 
FEMALE AETISTS IN FRANCE. 201 
 
 this professional devotion among the women engravers 
 in France, it follows that there were few amateurs; 
 while, on the other hand, those in Germany and En- 
 gland who handled the implements of art as dilettanti 
 were very numerous. 
 
 Glancing over the prominent Frenchwomen who 
 enjoyed a reputation among their contemporaries dur- 
 ing the eighteenth century, we may notice the stamp- 
 cutters Marie Anne de St. Urbin and Elise Lesueur, 
 with the sculptress Mademoiselle Collot, who afterward 
 married Falconnet, and assisted him in the completion 
 of the statue of Peter the Great. She was said to be 
 enamored of the czar, and to have executed the finest 
 bust of him extant. The female painters of this pe- 
 riod are but little known. In the early part of the 
 century, Lucrece Catherine de la Ronde and Elizabeth 
 Gauthier engraved after Edelinck and Langlais. Ma- 
 rie Catherine Herault accompanied her husband, the 
 painter Silvestre, to Dresden ; and Genevieve Blan- 
 chot, and the Dames Godefroy and Davin, among 
 others less noted, complete the list during the first 
 half of the century. 
 
 The number of devotees to art, however, was rap- 
 idly increasing, as the ateliers of Eegnault, David, and 
 Redoute could bear witness, when they became cen- 
 tral points of reunion for female enterprise and study. 
 
 The influence of those celebrated men, whose fair 
 scholars have exercised their talents in the nineteenth 
 century, brought more into vogue the tender and emo- 
 tional kind of genre-painting, shown by Greuze and 
 Fragonard to be so well adapted to the taste and the 
 feeling of woman. Marguerite Gerard, the sister-in- 
 law and pupil of Fragonard, in this manner painted 
 scenes of domestic life and family groups with much 
 
 T2 
 
202 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 grace and repose. A Madame Gerard has been men- 
 tioned as a dilettante, who possessed a large fortune, 
 and had a hotel furnished with facilities for painting 
 Sevres. Her splendid cupboards of polished mahog- 
 any were gilded and bronzed, and their contents 
 looked like a rich collection for the gratification of 
 taste rather than for sale. She purchased some pieces 
 for sixty and eighty louis-d'ors. A pair of vases, not 
 very large, painted with sacred subjects, sold for 
 twenty -six thousand livres. 
 
 The genre style was practiced by Mademoiselle 
 Duquesnoy and Madame Gois. Greuze's manner was 
 also imitated by his wife, Anna Gabrielle, with Marie 
 Genevieve Brossard de Beaulieu, who had the honor 
 of membership in the Academies of Paris and Eome. 
 
 Other disciples of this school entered into their pro- 
 fession after the commencement of the nineteenth 
 century ; and they, with the pupils of Eegnault, Ke- 
 doute, and David, belong to a later period than that 
 under discussion. 
 
 Portrait-painting was more in vogue than any other 
 kind, and that almost altogether in oil ; while minia- 
 ture-painting, so much in favor among the women of 
 Germany, was in France much less practiced. Among 
 those who gained some celebrity, Caroline Sattler de- 
 serves mention. She studied in Paris, and was not 
 only received as a member of the Academy in that 
 city, but was honored with the title of Professor. 
 Some time afterward she gave her hand to a merchant 
 named Tridon, and went to live in Dresden. 
 
 Landscape-painting was practiced by very few wom- 
 en. In flower-painting Madeleine Francoise Basseporte 
 was noted. She was born in 1701, received her in- 
 struction from Aubriet, and in 1743 succeeded him in 
 
ENGRAVERS. 203 
 
 his official appointment in the Jardin des Plantes. She 
 painted a series of pieces for the collection of the Due 
 Graston d' Orleans, which are still exhibited as master- 
 works of art. 
 
 Madame Kugler, the wife of Yon Weyler, painted 
 the portraits of distinguished persons in ivory, and had 
 fine pieces, in enamel and pastel, in the exhibition in 
 1789. She was employed by the government, and 
 worked after her husband's plans. For twelve years 
 she was distinguished for her labors. 
 
 Mesdames Charpentier, Surigny, Capet, Bruyere, 
 Michaud, Davin, Mirnaux, Anzon, and Benoit who 
 painted the emperor were also well known as artists. 
 
 Susanna Silvestre came of a French family of paint- 
 ers. She copied heads and portraits after Yandyck. 
 
 As to the class of women, already noticed, who em- 
 braced the profession of engravers, they were almost 
 innumerable; yet it is difficult to select any who 
 merit special attention. One of the number Mar- 
 guerite Leconte about the middle of the century 
 was a member of Art-academies in Home, Florence, 
 and Bologna, and enjoyed a position of high dis- 
 tinction. Genevieve Naugis, born in Paris in 1746, 
 worked before she became the wife of Eegnault. She 
 copied plants from nature, and engraved in copper ; 
 she also copied history-pieces after different masters. 
 
 Fanny Yernet engraved the pictures painted by her 
 husband, Charles Yernet; and, in her son Horace, 
 gave to French art one of its greatest ornaments. 
 
 Elizabeth Clara Tardieu was the wife of an eminent 
 French engraver, and was accustomed to practice the 
 art herself with success. 
 
 Mary Magdalen Hortemels, the daughter of a French 
 engraver, and the wife of Cochin, was a noted engraver. 
 
204 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 She executed with the point and finished with the 
 graver, in a light and pleasing style. Several of the 
 plates for Monicart's treatise on the pictures, statues, 
 etc., at Versailles were done by her. 
 
 Marie Kosalie Bertaud and Louise Adelaide Boizot 
 were excellent engravers. 
 
 Anne Philibert Coulet was an ingenious engraver 
 of landscapes and marine views ; she wrought in a 
 delicate and pleasing style. 
 
 We will now throw back a look upon two female 
 painters, who won for themselves a nearly equal re- 
 nown, and who are admirably adapted each in her 
 own personal history, and the view of her early efforts 
 to be representatives of the condition and character- 
 istics of French art at that period ; and, withal, of the 
 prevalent state of society. These women are Adelaide 
 Vincent and Louise Elise Le Brun. 
 
 ADELAIDE VINCENT. 
 
 Adelaide Vertus Labille was born in Paris in 1749, 
 and received her earliest lessons in painting in that 
 city, from J. E. Vincent, of Geneva. This artist had 
 come to Paris a short time before her birth, had gained 
 consideration as a painter of miniature portraits, and 
 was received a member of the Academy. Adelaide's 
 teacher in pastel-painting was at first Latour; but 
 when the son of her childhood's master Francois 
 Antoine Vincent, who had shared her studies in his 
 father's atelier, as a boy, three years older than herself 
 came back to Paris, she determined to join him both 
 in the pursuit of art and the journey of life. Her first 
 husband had been M. Guyard ; her second was the 
 younger Vincent. 
 
 Adelaide painted a great number of portraits, among 
 
ADELAIDE VINCENT. 205 
 
 which those of artists were most noted. One of these 
 the portrait of the sculptor Gois won the prize 
 offered by the Academy, and gained for the fair artist 
 such celebrity that even the works of her famous rival 
 Madame Le Brun were thought inferior to it. 
 
 A distinguished mark of appreciation was the ap- 
 pointment of Madame Vincent as regular member of 
 the Academy; this took place on the 31st March, 
 1781. When the storm of the Revolution burst upon 
 France she adhered to the party of her husband, 
 whose attachment to the royal family caused him to 
 live in continual hostility with the republican painter 
 David. One of her works was a large picture, in 
 which the figures were of life size, representing herself 
 before the easel, and her pupils around her; among 
 them Mademoiselle Capet, the Duchess of Angouleme, 
 and several other members of -the royal family, by 
 whom she was greatly esteemed and frequently em- 
 ployed. 
 
 Another of her greatest productions represents the 
 reception of a member into the Order of St. Lazarus, 
 by Monsieur, the king's brother, grand master of the 
 order, who had given her the appointment of court 
 painter. This picture was destroyed during the Kevo- 
 lution, and its loss caused the artist so much vexation 
 that she would rarely touch the brush afterward. 
 Among her subsequent productions, a portrait of her 
 husband was celebrated at the time. 
 
 This accomplished woman, crowned with honors by 
 her contemporaries, both as an artist and in social life, 
 and esteemed by a large circle of friends, died in 1803. 
 
206 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 ELIZABETH LE BRTJN. 
 
 The other distinguished artist alluded to is Marie 
 Louise Elizabeth Yigee, who, under her married name, 
 Le Brun, is widely known as one of the most celebrated 
 women belonging to the eighteenth and nineteenth 
 centuries. 
 
 She was born in Paris, April 16th, 1755. Her fa- 
 ther was a skillful portrait-painter, and, amid the 
 sports of childhood in her home, she became acquaint- 
 ed with the principles that form the ground- work of 
 this art. She showed very early both disposition and 
 talents for painting. When only seven or eight years 
 of age she drew a sketch of a bearded man, which when 
 her father saw, recognizing it as a token of the pres- 
 ence of genius, he exclaimed, rapturously, " You shall 
 be a painter, my daughter, or there never was one 1" 
 
 Elizabeth long remembered this occurrence, and, in 
 her memoir of herself, speaks of the deep impression 
 made upon her childish feelings by the praises her fa- 
 ther lavished on this early production. 
 
 The lessons she received at home were soon found 
 insufficient for her rapidly-developing talent. She 
 was introduced, as a pupil in drawing, to Briard, a 
 painter of considerable merit, who excelled in outline 
 and sketching. Her teacher in coloring was Davesne, 
 after whom a picture of Marie Antoinette as Dauphine 
 of France was engraved. The celebrated Joseph Yer- 
 net, then in the midst of his brilliant career, gave her 
 valuable advice, and always took a fatherly interest 
 in the gifted child. Her own father died when she 
 was only thirteen years old, but her mother permitted 
 her to continue her studies of the great masters in the 
 public galleries. 
 
ELIZABETH LE BRUN. 207 
 
 Here the maiden copied from the mighty works of 
 Rubens, from the portraits of Eembrandt and Van- 
 dyck, and from the delicate and charming female 
 heads of Greuze. Thus the ground- work was laid of 
 her future eminence as a colorist, and it was not long 
 ere she was sufficiently advanced to make considera- 
 ble profit out of her labors. 
 
 Her father had left no property at his death, and 
 her mother had been too long accustomed to a bril- 
 liant and luxurious Parisian life not to feel privations 
 sorely. She sought the means of indulgence in her 
 accustomed pleasures by availing herself of the talents 
 of her daughter, who now found herself obliged to 
 support the family with her earnings. 
 
 Even when the mother entered into a second mar- 
 riage, some years later, the condition of things was 
 not improved. Madame Vige'e, wedded to a rich jew- 
 eler, found herself disappointed in the expectation of 
 increased means to minister to her vanity and extrav- 
 agance. From the day of the bridal the husband 
 showed himself so avaricious and penurious, that he 
 refused to furnish his wife and step-daughter even the 
 necessaries of life. 
 
 The labors of our poor little Elizabeth were again 
 in requisition ; and though her old friend Yernet ad- 
 vised her to give her parents only an allowance from 
 her earnings, and reserve the remainder for her own 
 use, all she could procure was taken from her and 
 spent, either in the purchase of articles for the family, 
 or for the gratification of her mother's unbounded fond* 
 ness for dress, promenades, and public amusements. 
 
 Wherever the youthful maiden appeared she was 
 noticed for her extreme beauty, as well as talked about 
 for her wonderful talents, and the general interest in 
 
208 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 her professional career seemed to go hand in hand 
 with admiration of her rare personal loveliness. She 
 tells us, in her memoirs, of several men enamored of 
 her, who bespoke portraits from her hand in the hope, 
 during the sittings, of making progress in her favor ; 
 but her love for art, as well as the principles of mo- 
 rality and religion in which she had been reared, ren- 
 dered her proof against all such attempts to undermine 
 her virtue. 
 
 When only fifteen years old she painted a portrait 
 of her mother, which proved so admirable a piece of 
 work that Yernet counseled her to present it to the 
 Academy with an application for admission. Eliza- 
 beth's extreme youth prevented her being received as 
 a member, but she was permitted, a few years later, 
 to be present at all the public sittings of the Academy. 
 
 It was about this time that she became acquainted 
 with Jean Baptiste Pierre Le Brun, a painter and pic- 
 ture-dealer, who was then considered one of the first 
 connoisseurs of Europe. He paid devoted attention to 
 the lovely young artist, inducing her to visit his rare 
 and rich collection for the purpose of study, wh'ile he 
 manifested the deepest interest in her success. Six 
 months after his introduction he became a suitor for 
 her hand. She says, in her autobiography, 
 
 " I was far from the thought of marrying M. Le 
 Brun, although he possessed a handsome face and 
 agreeable person ; but my mother, who imagined him 
 very rich, never ceased urging me not to refuse so ad- 
 vantageous a proposal. So at length I yielded ; but 
 the marriage was only an exchange of one kind of 
 trouble for another. Not that M. Le Brun was a bad- 
 hearted man. His character showed a mixture of 
 softness and vehemence ; and his complaisance to ev- 
 
ELIZABETH LE BRUN. 209 
 
 ery one made liim popular. But lie was unhappily 
 too fond of the society of disreputable females, and 
 this degrading propensity led him to a passion for 
 gaming that ruined both of us in point of fortune. So 
 completely had he run through all we possessed, that 
 in 1789 I had not twenty francs for my journey out of 
 France, although my earnings had amounted to more 
 than a million." 
 
 The marriage, which on the husband's part was a 
 mere matter of speculation, for he relied on the talents 
 of his bride to rid him of his creditors, and enable him 
 to live in ease and luxury, was one of those alliances 
 common in Paris in the reign of Louis XV. The ex- 
 perience of our heroine was characteristic of the times. 
 Le Brun had been previously engaged to the daughter 
 of a wealthy Dutch picture-dealer, with whom he had 
 transacted business. He begged his wife to keep their 
 marriage a secret till his former business arrangements 
 were satisfactorily adjusted. Madame consented, al- 
 though she was placed in a most painful position, be- 
 ing beset with warnings and entreaties from her 
 friends, urging her not to enter into a union sure to 
 be productive of unhappiness when, alas ! the mis- 
 chief was already accomplished. The Duchesse d'Ar- 
 emberg predicted misery as the result of such a mar- 
 riage ; the court jeweler, Auber, a friend of her youth, 
 advised her " rather to tie a stone round her neck and 
 throw herself into the river than to commit such a 
 piece of folly and madness." 
 
 The young wife, however, still kept her faith in the 
 excellence of her beloved. At last the completion of 
 his business arrangements enabled him to declare the 
 marriage publicly, and very soon it appeared that all 
 these warnings were but too well founded. Le Brun 
 
210 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 first took possession of all the hard-earned property of 
 his wife, and compelled her to increase her income by 
 taking pupils. The sole advantage this accession of 
 means procured for her was the more active and in- 
 cessant employment that prevented her from feeling 
 too bitterly the disappointment of her hopes of happi- 
 ness in domestic life. Her husband took the money 
 paid for her pictures and lessons to squander it on his 
 own selfish indulgences. He occupied the first floor 
 of the house, furnished in magnificent style, and sur- 
 rounded himself with costly luxuries ; while his wife 
 was obliged to content herself with the second story, 
 and with very plain living. Such a state of things in 
 married life, however, was not unusual toward the close 
 of the reign of Louis XV., and it excited no surprise. 
 
 While matters stood thus, Le Brun obtained the 
 credit of being an indulgent husband by the indiffer- 
 ence he showed in allowing even persons of question- 
 able character to visit his wife, while he seldom ap- 
 peared in her circles, and by his disregard of sundry 
 cautions and rumors on the subject. Scandal, which 
 rarely spares an ill-used wife, unless the austere seclu- 
 sion of her life be more than hermit-like, whispered 
 terrible things of Madame Le Brun, and she was even 
 accused of owing the large sums paid for her pictures 
 more to personal favors than to her merit as a painter. 
 Conscious of innocence, she was wont to complain to 
 her husband of such injustice, and he would answer, 
 jestingly, 
 
 " Let people talk. When you die I will put up a 
 lofty pyramid in my garden, inscribed with a list of 
 the portraits you have painted, and then the world 
 will know how you have come by the money you have 
 made." 
 
ELIZABETH LE BRUN. 211 
 
 Such mocking sympathy was all the return for her 
 confidence and earnest appeals for protection from the 
 unworthy husband who continued to live in luxury 
 at her expense. 
 
 When twelve thousand francs were sent Elizabeth 
 for a portrait of the son of Princess Lubomirska, Le 
 Brun appropriated to his own use the entire sum ex- 
 cept two louis-d'ors, which he gave his wife out of it. 
 
 With feelings wounded, and alienated from him by 
 such treatment, Madame Le Brun at length appears to 
 have resolved to make herself as happy as possible in 
 her own way. French society was then corrupted to 
 the core, and it was difficult to move in it without par- 
 taking of the contamination. It was especially so for 
 one whose education had been superficial, and who 
 had never learned to emulate the example of those 
 pure devotees to art who had found in that a power to 
 preserve and guide them, even amid the intrigues and 
 dissipation of the circles that surrounded them. 
 
 Madame Le Brun had obtained the favor and inti- 
 mate friendship of persons of very high rank. Marie 
 Antoinette not only sent to her for her picture, but 
 was accustomed to ask her to sing with her, the paint- 
 er being almost as celebrated for her "silver voice" as 
 for her professional merits. The public honors lav- 
 ished upon her aided to make her labors profitable. 
 
 On one occasion, at a sitting of the French Acad- 
 emy, La Harpe recited a poem in honor of female gen- 
 ius. When he came to the lines 
 
 "Le Brim de la beaute le peintre et le modele, 
 Moderne Eosalba, mais plus brillante qu'elle, 
 Joint la voix de Favart au sourire de Ve'nus " 
 
 the whole assembly rose, not even, excepting the 
 Duchesse de Chartres and the King of Sweden, and 
 
212 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 the fair artist was stunned with a burst of enthusiastic 
 applause. 
 
 Her admission into the Academy, which had been 
 hitherto prevented by personal jealousies and other 
 hinderances, now took place, on the presentation of her 
 own portrait, in 1783. This picture she had painted 
 after the famous one by Eubens " Le cliapeau de 
 paille" which she had seen the year before when on 
 a visit to Belgium. Her work was so admirable that 
 Yernet, her ever faithful friend, saw at once that he 
 could by its means procure the immediate enrollment 
 of her name among the members of the Academy. 
 
 In the "poor dwelling" to which M. Le Brun's ex- 
 travagance consigned her, she managed to hold every 
 week an evening reception, notwithstanding the limit- 
 ed accommodations. Her house became the rendez- 
 vous for all the celebrities of Paris, and for much of 
 its beauty and high rank. Curious stories were afloat 
 in regard to her expenditures in entertaining the dig- 
 nified personages who visited her. It was said that 
 her table was covered with gold plate ; that her apart- 
 ments were warmed with aloes-wood, and even that 
 she kindled her fire with bank-notes. The absurdity 
 of such rumors may well lead one to doubt others in 
 the chroniques scandaleuses of the day, more nearly 
 affecting her reputation. 
 
 It is certain, however, that she received guests of 
 the highest distinction, and that her receptions were 
 crowded to excess. The want of chairs often com- 
 pelled her visitors to seat themselves on the ground. 
 Madame Le Brun herself describes, with evident pleas- 
 ure in the recollection, the embarrassment of the fat 
 old Due de Noailles, who one evening had to stand 
 a long time, on account of the scarcity of seats. 
 
ELIZABETH LE BKUN. 213 
 
 Music was generally a part of the entertainment, 
 and the fair hostess, though she had paid little atten- 
 tion to the superior cultivation of that art, sang most 
 charmingly. Gretry, Sachini, and Martini here re- 
 hearsed scenes from the new operas before their repre- 
 sentation; Garat, Azevedo, Eicher, and Madame Le 
 Brun supplied the vocal music, while the instrumental 
 would be furnished by Viotti, Jarnowich, Maestrino, 
 Cramer, Hiilmandel, and Prince Henry of Prussia, 
 brother to Frederick William III. He was said to be 
 a celebrated amateur. 
 
 The petits soupers which usually terminated these 
 delightful soirees, and to which only a few favored 
 guests were invited, became renowned throughout 
 France. They were said to be brilliant in Attic ele- 
 gance and Parisian luxury. The popular Delille, the 
 piquant author Le Brun, who first flattered the royal 
 family and then became the Pindar of the Revolution ; 
 the luxurious Boufflers, the Vicomte de Segur, were 
 among the frequenters of this sanctuary of the muses 
 and the graces. The suppers, indeed, had a European 
 celebrity. 
 
 One day the brother of Madame Le Brun read aloud 
 from the travels of Anacharsis a description of an an- 
 cient Grecian banquet. The fancy came into the 
 lady's head of arranging one of her suppers in imita- 
 tion of the feasts of the luxurious Aspasia. 
 
 The cook was immediately furnished with receipts 
 for Greek sauces; the "little" supper-room was 
 changed into a classic banqueting-hall, and a table 
 made according to the antique fashion was set in the 
 middle of the room, surrounded with Grecian dra- 
 peried couches. A request was sent to the Comte de 
 Pezay, who lived in the same building, for an antique 
 
214 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 mantle of regal purple, while the Marquis de Cubieres 
 was levied on for a golden lyre, on which he was 
 skilled in playing. 
 
 Le Brun not the husband, but the poet was 
 arrayed by the fair hands of the artist whose taste 
 in picturesque costume none could question with 
 the purple robe and a classic wig, adorned with a 
 laurel wreath. He was thus fitted to bear his part as 
 Pindar or Anacreon ! Some young ladies, noted for 
 their beauty, were dressed in Greek tunics, with clas- 
 sic coiffures, to figure as Athenian maidens ; while 
 the gentlemen guests underwent a corresponding 
 transformation. 
 
 Those favored with invitations to this select enter- 
 tainment took their places to the music of the golden 
 lyre, and the classic air composed by Gluck, 
 
 "Le Dieu de Paphos et de Gnide," 
 
 while the Pindar of the evening sang Anacreontic 
 odes. 
 
 Among the delicacies that covered the board were 
 eels and birds dressed with Greek sauces and garnish- 
 ed with honey-cakes ; figs, and olives, and grapes of 
 Corinth. Two beautiful slaves Mademoiselle de 
 Bonneuil and Mademoiselle Le Brun served the 
 guests with Cyprian wine, in cups brought from 
 buried Herculaneum. 
 
 Two guests arrived late the Comte de Vaudreuil 
 and the financier Boutin who had not been prepared 
 for the surprise. They stood still, dumb with amaze- 
 ment, at the threshold, and seemed to think themselves 
 transported to Athens in her day of intellectual glory ! 
 
 The next day the classic banquet given by Madame 
 Le Brun was the talk of all Paris. She was entreated 
 to repeat the entertainment, but with proper tact de- 
 
ELIZABETH LE BRUN. 215 
 
 clined. Some of her acquaintances took offense at 
 the refusal and at their own exclusion, and revenged 
 the slight (as she says) by slandering her to the king. 
 It was averred the supper had cost twenty thousand 
 francs, and Cubi^res had much ado to undeceive his 
 majesty. 
 
 The story and the fame of the banquet traveled 
 over the Continent ; by the time it had reached Eome 
 the cost had swelled to forty thousand ; and in Vienna, 
 the Baroness Strogonoff assured Madame Le Brun, it 
 was reported she had spent sixty thousand. In St. 
 Petersburg it was naturally as much as eighty thou- 
 sand. " The fact is," says Madame Le Brun, " the lit- 
 tle affair cost me only fifteen francs." She may be re- 
 lied on as to her share of the expense, although the 
 cost to others may have been somewhat greater. 
 
 Such exaggerated rumors, and the gossip growing 
 out of them, caused some disagreement in the general 
 estimation of Madame Le Brun's talents and charac- 
 ter. The homage she had received and continued to 
 receive from the nobility, with her appointment as 
 painter-in-ordinary to the queen, and the favors heap- 
 ed on her by the court, helped to render her obnox- 
 ious to a people among whom attachment to royalty 
 and aristocratic forms began to be regarded as a 
 crime. 
 
 France was on the eve of that Revolution which 
 was destined to uproot the existing order of things, 
 and the woman whom Marie Antoinette had made her 
 companion was not likely to escape without opprobri- 
 um. Besides, had she not, in 1774, before her mar- 
 riage, published a work entitled " Amour des Frangais 
 pour leur roiT" 1 
 
 When the Revolution broke out, Madame Le Brun 
 
216 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 perceived that she could no longer remain in France. 
 The law protecting artists, and permitting them to 
 travel in their vocation, was available for her depart- 
 ure. 
 
 She resolved to go to Italy, and, with poignant grief, 
 bade adieu to her home and friends. But the journey 
 commenced so sadly proved a triumphant progress, 
 crowned with tokens of respect and homage. 
 
 In Bologna she was at once declared a member of 
 the Academy. At Eome she was welcomed by a dep- 
 utation of artists, who went to meet her; while the 
 painter Menageot, who had just been appointed direct- 
 or of the French Academy, assigned her apartments in 
 the palace of the institution. 
 
 In Naples she was received with marks of distinc- 
 tion by the queen, the sister of Marie Antoinette, and 
 here several residents of rank sat to her for their por- 
 traits among others, the beautiful Lady Hamilton, 
 whom the artist painted as a Bacchante reclining on 
 the sea-shore. This picture was highly praised, and 
 spread far and wide the fame of Madame Le Brun. 
 
 In Florence she was requested to paint a portrait of 
 herself for the collection of originals to which refer- 
 ence has already been made. She finished the por- 
 trait for this gallery, where it was placed in 1790, two 
 years after that of Angelica Kauffman had been added 
 to the collection. 
 
 Goethe says of the portrait of Angelica Kauffman, 
 comparing it with that of Madame Le Brun in the 
 same gallery: "It has a truer tone in the coloring; 
 the position is more pleasing, and the whole exhibits 
 more correct taste and a higher spirit in art. But the 
 work of Le Brun shows more careful execution ; has 
 more vigor in the drawing, and more delicate touches. 
 
ELIZABETH LE BRUN". 217 
 
 It has, moreover, a clear, though somewhat exaggera- 
 ted coloring. The Frenchwoman understands the art 
 of adornment; the head-dress, the hair, the folds of 
 lace on the bosom -all are arranged with care, and, as 
 one might say, con amore. The piquant, handsome 
 face, with its lively expression, its parted lips disclos- 
 ing a row of pearly teeth, presents itself to the behold- 
 er's gaze as if coquettishly challenging his admiration, 
 while the hand holds the pencil as in the act of draw- 
 ing. The picture of Angelica, with the head gently 
 inclined, and the soft, intellectual melancholy of the 
 countenance, evinces higher genius, even if, in point 
 of artistic skill, the preference would be given to the 
 other." 
 
 From a comparison of the two portraits, a contrast 
 might be drawn in the contemplation of the lives and 
 characters of the two artists. But we will return to 
 Madame Le Brun, whom we find pursuing the jour- 
 neys she made as a conqueror, receiving new honors 
 and new tributes wherever she passed. 
 
 After visiting Florence and Parma, where she was 
 elected a member of the Academy, she went to Venice, 
 Yerona, and Milan. Italy the land where the fairest 
 fruits of female genius in painting had been found 
 seemed eager to pay the homage of admiration to the 
 gifted daughter of another clime. Compliments and 
 felicitations were showered upon her by the country- 
 men of a Sirani and a Robusti. 
 
 She came at length to Vienna, where the Count Kau- 
 nitz received her with friendly welcome, and immedi- 
 ately introduced her at court. A golden harvest here 
 awaited her efforts, and gallant attentions from persons 
 in high places were not wanting. The Prince de 
 Ligne a type of the cavaliers of the ancien regime, 
 
 K 
 
218 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 whom she had known in former years at the court of 
 Versailles devoted himself to her service, and sang 
 her praises in amatory verses. 
 
 Visiting Berlin, she found an old friend in the per- 
 son of Prince Henry, and had a very favorable recep- 
 tion at court. Thence she went to St. Petersburg, 
 where she lived some years in a brilliant circle of so- 
 ciety under the protection of the Empress Catherine 
 II. and Paul I. 
 
 The honors heaped upon her were crowned in 1800 
 by her election to membership in the Academy of 
 Arts; but, notwithstanding the favor in which she 
 stood with the imperial family and the nobility, and 
 the influx of wealth that grew out of their kindness 
 and the extended appreciation of her paintings, the 
 condition of her health at last obliged her to quit Eus- 
 sia. The entreaties of the emperor and empress could 
 not prevail upon her to remain longer than 1801. 
 
 In July of that year she returned to Berlin and re- 
 ceived the honor of being chosen a member of the 
 Academy. Orders for portraits were not wanting, 
 but her short stay made it impossible to undertake 
 them. Passing through Dresden she returned to the 
 native land for which her heart had ever pined, ar- 
 riving in safety at Paris in the winter of the same 
 year. 
 
 The misfortunes of the Bourbons had filled her 
 breast with sympathizing grief wherever the news had 
 reached her. She remained true to them through all 
 reverses, living to witness both the restoration and 
 second and final exile of that royal line. This loyal 
 feeling manifested itself even in her relations to the 
 imperial family, when they were in possession of the 
 throne. 
 
ELIZABETH LE BRUN. 219 
 
 Her picture of " Yenus binding Love's wings" had 
 been engraved in Paris by Pierre Villu, in 1787. In 
 London she was attacked by the painter Hoppner, who 
 depreciated her works, and charged her with manner- 
 ism. She succeeded, nevertheless, in obtaining dis- 
 tinguished patrons. Two pieces that spread her re- 
 nown were, a knee-piece of the Prince of Wales, and 
 one of the Signora Grassini in a classic character. The 
 draperies are luxuriant and rainbow-colored. 
 
 Sir Joshua Keynolds, when questioned by North- 
 cote on the merits of two of her portraits, pronounced 
 them "as fine as those of any painter," and he would 
 not except Yandyck, though his remark has been at- 
 tributed to a generous unwillingness to interfere with 
 the brief summer of her popularity. After a residence 
 of three years in England she came to Paris to paint 
 the portrait of Madame Murat. 
 
 At Coppet, whither she went on a journey into 
 Switzerland in 1808-9, she painted a portrait of Ma- 
 dame de Stael, which aided much in spreading her rep- 
 utation. Having returned from this tour, she pur- 
 chased a country-seat near Marly, which became, as 
 her house in Paris had been, the resort of a highly 
 cultivated and brilliant society. Especially at the pe- 
 riod of the Eestoration, public attention, influenced by 
 that of the court, seemed turned to Madame Le Brun 
 with greater earnestness than ever. 
 
 The husband of this accomplished woman died in 
 1813, and five years afterward she lost her only daugh- 
 ter. Her death was followed by that of the brother 
 to whom Madame Le Brun was so much attached. 
 These multiplied afflictions weighed heavily upon her 
 desolate heart. She sought consolation in renewed 
 devotion to her art, and worked in her profession as 
 
220 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 assiduously as ever, notwithstanding the infirmities 
 of advanced age. When eighty years old she painted 
 the portrait of her niece, Madame de Eiviere, and so 
 remarkable for vigorous coloring and lively expres- 
 sion was this picture that it has been preserved among 
 the best specimens of her powers in their prime of 
 energy. 
 
 About this time, in 1835, she gave the world her 
 autobiography, in the work entitled " Souvenirs." In 
 this memoir she enumerates the paintings which she 
 had at that time executed during her life. She had 
 finished six hundred and sixty-two portraits, fifteen 
 large compositions, and two hundred landscape-pieces, 
 sketched during her travels in England and Switzer- 
 land. 
 
 She had nearly completed her eighty-seventh year 
 at the time of her death, March 30th, 1842. Her long 
 life had been as richly productive in earnest labor as 
 in the reward of success, and in manifold enjoyment. 
 It may, indeed, be regarded, in its rare bloom and 
 vigor, as a type of that brilliant period, gay and lux- 
 uriant on the surface, but concealing numerous imper- 
 fections, which preceded the French Eevolution, and 
 led, as a natural consequence, to that tremendous out- 
 break. 
 
SPANISH FEMALE AKTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XV. 
 
 THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Women Artists in Spain. Their Participation a Test of general 
 Interest. Female Representatives of the most important Schools. 
 That of Seville. Of Madrid. The Paintress of Don Quixote. 
 Ladies of Rank Members of the Academy. Maria Tibaldi. 
 Two female Artists besides two Poetesses in Portugal. The Har- 
 vest greater in Italy. Few attained to Eminence. Learned La- 
 dies. Female Doctors and Professors. Degrees in Jurisprudence 
 and Philosophy conferred on them. Examples. The Scholar 
 nine Years old. A lady Professor of Mathematics. Women Lec- 
 turers. Comparison' with English Ladies. Brilliant Devotees of 
 the Lyre. Female Talent in the important Schools of Art. 
 Women Artists in Florence. Engravers and Paintresses. In 
 Naples. Kitchen-pieces. In the Cities of northern Italy. In Bo- 
 logna. Princesses. In Venice. Rosalba Camera. Her child- 
 ish Work. Her Genius perceived. Instruction. Takes to Pas- 
 tel-painting. Merits of her Works. Celebrity. Invitations to 
 Paris and Vienna. Visit from the King of Denmark. Invited 
 by the Emperor and the King of France. Portrait for the Grand 
 Duke of Tuscany. The King of Poland her Patron. Unspoiled 
 by Honors. Her moral Worth. Residence in Paris. Her Pic- 
 tures. The Lady disguised as a Maid-servant. Want of Beauty. 
 Anecdote of the Emperor. Rosalba's Journal. Visit to Vien- 
 na. Presentiment of Calamity. The Portrait wreathed with 
 gloomy Leaves. Blindness. Loss of Reason. Death and Burial. 
 Her Portrait. Other Venetian Women. 
 
 A GLANCE at the women artists of the romantic 
 South will close this general survey of the eighteenth 
 century. In Spain we find few worthy of mention. 
 Since the commencement of the Bourbon dynasty in- 
 terest in art had ceased to be the essential element in 
 the national life that it had been under the sway of 
 
222 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 the house of Hapsburg throughout the seventeenth 
 century. And in the Peninsula the truth was made 
 apparent that the participation of women is a test and 
 measure of the general interest in the studies and prod- 
 ucts of art prevailing among any people. 
 
 The most important schools, however, were not en- 
 tirely without female representatives. Linked with 
 that of Seville, we hear the name of the portrait-paint- 
 er, Maria de Valdes Leal ; her father and tutor, Don 
 Juan de Yaldes, after the death of Murillo, was regard- 
 ed as the first living master of this school. 
 
 That of Madrid had among its disciples Clara and 
 Anna Menendez, the latter being remembered as the 
 painter of a series of scenes from Don Quixote. To 
 the same school belong Donna Barbara Maria de 
 Hueva, and Donna Maria de Silva, Duchess of Arcos, 
 both celebrated for their skill in drawing, and mem- 
 bers of the Academy of San Fernando, as were also 
 Anna Menendez, and the painter Anna Perez of Na- 
 varre. Maria Felice Tibaldi, born in 1707, painted in 
 oil, and also miniatures and pastels. She possessed 
 great skill in drawing from life and copying historical 
 pieces. A work of her husband, Pierre Subleyras, 
 " The Apostolic Supper," was copied by her in min- 
 iature. Pope Benedict XIV. sent her for it a thou- 
 sand scudi, and placed it in his collection at the Capi- 
 tol. After the death of her husband Maria supported 
 herself and her children by her talents. 
 
 To these may be added Maria Prieto, the daughter 
 of a distinguished medailleur ; she practiced both paint- 
 ing and engraving, but died in her twentieth year at 
 Madrid, in 1772. 
 
 Portugal, at this period, was justly proud of two 
 women whose poetical talents had won no small celeb- 
 
LEARNED LADIES. 223 
 
 rity, Magdalena da Gloria and the Countess de Vimiero. 
 Beside them we may note two artists of eminence, 
 Dona Isabel Maria Rite of Oporto, and Catarina Vieira 
 of Lisbon ; the former of high repute as a miniature- 
 painter, the latter noted for several church pictures 
 which she painted after the designs of her brother, 
 Don Francisco Vieira de Mattos. 
 
 In Italy the harvest of names was greater, but fewer 
 women attained to eminence during this century than 
 in either of the two that had preceded it. Of women 
 of poetical genius there was no lack at this period ; 
 and more than ever though such are not wanting in 
 the early annals of the principal Italian cities learn- 
 ed ladies abounded. Female doctors and professors 
 were far more in plenty than they promise to be in 
 America in the latter half of the nineteenth century. 
 Such phenomena were not rare in the classic Italian 
 clime as women occupying the chair, not only of mu- 
 sic, drawing, and modern tongues, but of Greek, Lat- 
 in, Hebrew, mathematics, and astronomy. They took 
 degrees as doctors in jurisprudence and philosophy; 
 for example, Maria Victoria Delfini, Christina Roccati, 
 and Laura Bassi, in the University of Bologna, and 
 Maria Pellegrina Amoretti, in that of Pavia. Anna 
 Manzolini, in 1758, was Professor of Anatomy in Bo- 
 logna ; and Maria Agnesi who, when only nine years 
 of age, had delivered at Milan a Latin address on the 
 " Studies of the Female Sex" was appointed by the 
 Pope to the professorship of mathematics in the same 
 university at Bologna. 
 
 It was not then esteemed unfeminine for women to 
 give lectures in public to crowded and admiring audi- 
 ences. They were freely admitted members of learn- 
 ed societies, and were consulted by men of pre-emi- 
 
224 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 nent scientific attainments as their equals in scholar- 
 ship ; yet, a British reviewer remarks, " It is doubtful 
 whether the far-famed Novella was a better Greek 
 scholar than Mrs. Browning ; or Maria Porcia Vignoli, 
 whose statue long adorned the market-place of Yiter- 
 bo, more learned in natural sciences than Mrs. Somer- 
 ville." 
 
 Among the more brilliant devotees of the lyre may 
 be mentioned, in passing, Emilia Ballati and Giulia 
 Baitelli, who emulated the fame of Petrarch, and Lau- 
 ra Vanetti, in whose poems Metastasio discerned the 
 very soul of the bard of Love. 
 
 But we must not linger over names, even of the art- 
 ists who belong to our special field of observation. 
 None of the important early schools failed in the eight- 
 eenth century, to be able to boast the ornament of fe- 
 male talent. In Florence, Yiolanta Beatrice Siries, aft- 
 er a prolonged course of study in Paris under Boucher 
 and Eigaud, was noted as a portrait-painter. In the 
 same branch of the profession, Anna Boccherini and 
 Anna Galeotti were highly esteemed. 
 
 In copper-engraving, Catarina Zucchi and Laura Pi- 
 ranesi acquired some celebrity. As engravers, we hear 
 of Livia Pisani, Yiolanta Yanni, and Teresa Mogalli, 
 the last also skilled in painting. 
 
 In encaustic painting, Anna Parenti-Duclos was well 
 known toward the close of the century. Maria Felicia 
 Tibaldi was distinguished in Kome for her talents as a 
 painter no less than for her virtues as a woman ; and 
 her sister, Teresa, belongs to the same category, with 
 Kosalba Maria Salviani and Caterina Cherubini. In 
 miniature-painting, Bianca and Matilda Festa excelled ; 
 the latter holding the professor's chair in the Academy 
 of San Luca. 
 
ITALIAN FEMALE ARTISTS. 225 
 
 The wreaths of poetry and painting were inter- 
 twined around the brow of Maria Maratti, the daugh- 
 ter and pupil of the celebrated Carlo Maratti, and the 
 wife of the poet Zappi. The like was true of Anna 
 Victoria Dolora, who died at a great age in 1827, in a 
 Dominican convent. 
 
 Naples boasted at this period a famous mathemati- 
 cian in Maria Angela Ardinghelli. Three gifted sis- 
 ters, Maria Angiola, Felice, and Emmanuela Matteis, 
 were also noted here ; with the distinguished Angel- 
 ica Siscara and Colomba Garri, who practiced flower 
 and genre painting, and produced a series of kitchen- 
 pieces, in which they sought to idealize by artistic 
 adornment the ordinary occupations of the frugal and 
 industrious housewife. 
 
 The cities of northern Italy had their share of en- 
 ergetic women. Turin, Milan, Bergamo, Roveredo, 
 Carpi, and Parma produced artists whose fame was 
 limited to a narrower circle than those of Bologna and 
 Venice, where, especially in the former city, the shad- 
 ow of past glories seemed to linger. 
 
 Professor Anna Manzolini modeled excellent por- 
 traits in wax, and Clarice Vasini obtained no small 
 celebrity as a sculptor, being a member of the Acad- 
 emy. 
 
 Lucia Casalini, Bianca Giovannini, Barbara Burini, 
 Eleonora Monti, Anna Teresia Messieri, Rosa Alboni, 
 and Teresa Tesi, belonged to Bologna, and elevated 
 the renown of its women for painting. They aspired 
 to imitate the example of Elizabetta Sirani. 
 
 Carlotta Melania Alfieri is mentioned as accomplish- 
 ed in literature, music, and painting. 
 
 Laura Vanetti, praised as a linguist, musician, and 
 philosopher, also excelled in painting. In the begin- 
 K 2 
 
226 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 ning of this century the Princess Elizabeth of Parma, 
 afterward married to the King of Spain, was a famous 
 dilettante. Another Princess Elizabeth, the wife of 
 the Archduke Joseph of Austria, was, in 1789, on ac- 
 count of her pastels, admitted to membership of the 
 Academy in Vienna. 
 
 In Venice, on the other hand, the fair students of 
 art zealously emulated the fame of Maria Kobusti. 
 This " city of the sea" had many daughters who did 
 well in painting, though even their names are now for- 
 gotten. She gave birth to one, however, whose fame 
 was destined to spread into a wider circle, and to re- 
 new even in foreign lands the ancient lustre of the 
 Italian name in art. This gifted being stands almost 
 alone in the century as one who will be remembered 
 by posterity with admiration. 
 
 ROSALBA CARRIERA. 
 
 Eosalba Camera was born in Venice in 1675. Her 
 father held an office under government, which occu- 
 pied his whole time ; but he, as well as his father, had 
 been a painter. He loved art, and encouraged his 
 child in her early fancies. Her first childish work 
 was at point de Venise lace. She seemed to care lit- 
 tle for the ordinary amusements of young people, but 
 passed her leisure time in drawing. She tried to copy 
 one of her father's designs for the head of a sonnet. 
 A student of art, who chanced to see this piece of 
 work, showed it to his master, who instantly perceived 
 the genius of the child artist ; and, foreseeing the ex- 
 cellence to which she would attain, and wishing to en- 
 courage her to persevere, gave her other designs to 
 copy. 
 
 Rosalba was desolate when this friend left Venice ; 
 
EOSALBA CARRIERA. 227 
 
 but a Venetian banker, who had noticed her profi- 
 ciency, lent her some heads in pastel of Baroche. 
 These studies vastly improved her; and her father, 
 then satisfied of his daughter's possession of rare tal- 
 ents, consented that she should take lessons from An- 
 tonio Nazari, who was eminent as a pastel-painter. 
 The cavalier Diamantini, distinguished for the fresh- 
 ness of his pencil, also gave her instruction. 
 
 Her most valuable knowledge of the technical part 
 of painting, which gave her the mastery and command 
 of her art that marked her productions, was acquired 
 under the tuition of Antonio Balestra. Finally, she 
 obtained from her kinsman, Antonio Pellegrini, a 
 knowledge of the details of miniature -painting, to 
 which the advice of a lady friend first directed her, 
 and in which branch she acquired rare skill. She 
 would willingly have pursued this, but the weakness 
 of her sight compelled her to abandon it, and take to 
 pastel-painting, in which she obtained the greatest ce- 
 lebrity attaining, Zanetti says, the highest grade of 
 perfection. 
 
 Her miniatures were noted particularly for severe 
 accuracy of drawing, united with rare softness and 
 delicacy of touch ; they had the perfection of propor- 
 tion, and the brilliancy and warmth of coloring for 
 which her pastels were remarkable. Her tints were 
 blended with great tenderness ; her heads had a love- 
 ly expression of truth and nature. 
 
 Her talents met with due appreciation and honor 
 while yet in their bloom of promise. She was cele- 
 brated in her native city as the "companion of the 
 muse of painting," and "the ornament of her sex and 
 of the Venetian school." Zanetti speaks of her with 
 high praise in his u Storia della Pittura Veneziana." 
 
228 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 "Works evincing her extraordinary ability were shown 
 at most of the courts of Europe. She was invited 
 to Paris and Vienna to practice her profession there, 
 and was elected to membership in the academies of 
 Paris, Bologna, and Eome. Her miniature and pas- 
 tel paintings were sent to the institutions which con- 
 ferred this honor upon her. The King of Denmark 
 came to Venice, and, having heard of Eosalba, ex- 
 pressed a curiosity to see her. After consulting Ba- 
 lestra, she presented to her royal visitor some por- 
 traits of Venetian ladies of rank whom he had ad- 
 mired, receiving from his majesty in return a very 
 costly diamond. She also played and sang for his 
 amusement with her two sisters, one of whom per- 
 formed on the violin. 
 
 _ She was invited by royalty to paint the Emperor 
 Charles and the imperial court; also the King of 
 France. The Grand-Duke of Tuscany placed her por- 
 trait in his gallery ; it is painted in pastel, with one 
 of her sisters. The style is noble and sustained ; the 
 expression is true, and the flesh-tints are so admira- 
 ble, the face seems scarcely to want a soul. Augustus 
 III., King of Poland, was her special patron ; and in 
 Modena she painted portraits of the reigning family. 
 
 None of these, or similar honors, had power to turn 
 her head nor to corrupt her heart. Although a daugh- 
 ter of Venice, then the most luxurious and licentious 
 city in Europe, the deep seriousness, and even enthu- 
 siastic melancholy of her character dispositions that 
 find expression in many of her works kept her aloof 
 from contact with vice, and her moral purity and 
 worth were as conspicuous and as universally recog- 
 nized as her genius. Her own house at Venice was 
 adorned with portraits and original compositions. 
 
KOSALBA CAKKIEKA. 229 
 
 This valuable collection she sold at a high price to 
 the King of Poland, who placed them in a special cab- 
 inet of his palace in Dresden. 
 
 In the bloom of her career and her fame, Kosalba 
 accompanied her brother-in-law Pellegrini to France. 
 She remained a year at the house of M. Crozat. Two 
 portraits of the king were done by her in pastel, and 
 one in miniature, besides a victoire for a snuff-box 
 which his majesty gave to Madame de Yentadour. 
 
 Several groups and demi-figures, designed by Pel- 
 legrini and executed by Kosalba, are preserved in 
 Paris, with many heads in pastel done for Crozat. 
 Many of her symbolical pictures such as the Muses, 
 Sciences, Seasons, etc. were purchased by English 
 travelers. Her crayon - drawings were distinguished 
 by softness and life-like freshness. She became a 
 member of the Paris Academy in October, 1720. Her 
 tableau de reception was a Muse in pastel. The con- 
 noisseurs esteemed her portraits for their perfect like- 
 ness, delicacy of touch, wonderful lightness, peculiar 
 grace, and admirable coloring and expression. They 
 were unrivaled of their kind. 
 
 An anecdote has been mentioned of a lady of rank 
 who wished to study painting under Rosalba, but knew 
 she could not be prevailed on to take pupils. The 
 lady presented herself in the disguise of a maid-serv- 
 ant, and desired employment at the house of the dis- 
 tinguished paintress. Eosalba was pleased with her 
 appearance, and at once' engaged her services. While 
 faithfully performing her tasks, the lady incessantly 
 watched the proceedings of the artist ; and, by dint of 
 careful observation, succeeded in learning much of the 
 art. Rosalba noticed the extraordinary quickness of 
 her maid in these matters ; and, willing to give to na- 
 
230 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 tive talent all the aid in her power, invited the girl to 
 observe her while painting, and gave her valuable in- 
 struction. The secret was at last discovered. The 
 lady became afterward an artist so skillful in minia- 
 tures, that she received an appointment from a Ger- 
 man prince as painter at his court. 
 
 An Italian writes concerning her : " Nature had en- 
 dowed Eosalba with lofty aspirations and a passionate 
 soul, and her heart yearned for that response which 
 her absence of personal attractions failed to win. She 
 was aware of her extreme plainness ; and had she ig- 
 nored it, the Emperor Charles XI. enlightened her, 
 when, turning to Bertoli, a court artist, who presented 
 her in Vienna, he said, 'She may be clever, Bertoli 
 mio, this painter of thine, but she is remarkably ugly.' 
 But Eosalba, even if annoyed, could well afford to 
 smile, for Charles XI. was the ugliest of men." 
 
 While in France, Kosalba wrote a journal which 
 was entitled "Diario degli anni 1720 e 1721. Scritto 
 da Eosalba Camera." It appeared in Venice in 1793, 
 with notes by Giovanni Vianelli, who had a fine col- 
 lection of her paintings. 
 
 From Paris she went laden with honors to the im- 
 perial court at Vienna, where, besides the emperor and 
 empress, she painted the archduchesses and others of 
 the court. The King of Poland had a number of her 
 pastels, which were highly valued. 
 
 Zanetti remarks : " Much of interest may be said of 
 this celebrated and highly -gifted woman, whose spirit 
 in the midst of her triumphs and the brightest 
 visions of happiness was weighed down with the an- 
 ticipation of a heavy calamity. On one occasion 
 when she had painted a portrait of herself, with the 
 brow wreathed with gloomy leaves, significant of 
 
EOSALBA CARRIEEA. 231 
 
 death her friends asked why she had done this. 
 She replied that the representation was an image of 
 her life, and that her end would be tragic, according 
 to the meaning here shadowed forth. This portrait 
 was afterward in the possession of Giambattista Sar- 
 tori, a brother of her famous pupil Felicita Sartori. 
 He preserved it as a sacred relic. His sister married 
 Von Hoffmann, and painted with much success at the 
 court of the Elector of Saxony. 
 
 It seemed, indeed, that the presentiment of a fast 
 approaching and terrible affliction, amid the strict se- 
 clusion in which Eosalba lived, had taken possession 
 of this noble and gifted spirit. It might be that her 
 solitary existence tended to sadden her temperament, 
 and deepen its natural inclination to melancholy. The 
 forewarning, of which even in youth she felt conscious, 
 was mournfully fulfilled ere she had long passed her 
 prime. Before she was fifty years of age she became 
 totally blind, as she had feared. Her mind struggled 
 long with weakness and incurable sorrow, but sank at 
 last, and the light of reason too departed. 
 
 The latter part of her life was a blank, yet she 
 lingered to old age, dying in Venice, on the 15th of 
 April, 1757. Amid the universal expression of un- 
 affected sorrow and commiseration, she was buried in 
 the church of San Sista a Modesta. She left consider- 
 able property. Her grave is still pointed out to the 
 traveler as the last resting-place of one whose genius 
 was an ornament to Venice. 
 
 Many of her works have been engraved. The 
 Dresden Gallery has the largest collection, numbering 
 one hundred and fifty -seven pieces. 
 
 The engraving of Rosalba's portrait shows a youth- 
 ful face, with a pleased expression of childish inno- 
 
232 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 cence. The hair is brushed back from the forehead 
 on the top, but curls cluster around the face on the 
 sides ; earrings are worn, and the corsage is low. The 
 eyes are dark, the forehead is high, and the whole 
 head has a graceful air. 
 
 Like Kosalba Camera, Ippolita Yenier was a native 
 of Venice, though she lived at Udina with the painter 
 her father. In 1765 she painted the Adoration of the 
 Kings, for a church in the sea-born city. Felicita 
 Sartori was a pupil of Kosalba, and worked in Dres- 
 den, whither she went with her husband. 
 
 Apollonia de Forgue, born in 1767, assisted her 
 husband, Seydelman, with his pictures. She was a 
 member of the Academy in Dresden. 
 
CLOSE OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 233 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 More vigorous Growth of the Branches selected for female Enterprise. 
 
 Progress accelerated toward the Close of last Century. Still 
 more remarkable within the last fifty Years. Great Number of 
 Women active in Art. Better intellectual Cultivation and grow- 
 ing Taste. Increased Freedom of Woman. Present Prospect fair. 
 Growing Sense of the Importance of Female Education. Wom- 
 en earning an Independence. The Stream shallows as it widens. 
 
 Few Instances of pre-eminent Ability. Fuller Scope of the In- 
 fluence of the French Masters in the nineteenth Century. David, 
 the Republican Painter. His female Pupils. Angclique Mongez. 
 Madame Davin and others. Disciples of Greuze. Female 
 Scholars of Regnault. Pupils of the Disciples of David. Pupils 
 of Fleury and Cogniet. Madame Chaudet. Kinds of Painting in 
 Vogue. The Princess Marie d'Orleans. Her Statue of the Maid 
 of Orleans. Her last Work. Promise of Greatness. Sculpture 
 by Madame de Lamartine. "Paris is France." Painting on 
 Porcelain. Madame Jacotot and others. Condition of Art in 
 Germany. Carstens. Women Artists. Maria Ellenrieder. 
 Louise Seidler. Baroness von Freiberg. Mad.ame von Schroeter. 
 Female Artists of the Diisseldorf School. The greatest Number 
 in Berlin. Rich Bloom of Female Talent in Vienna and Dresden. 
 Changes in Italy. Prospect not fair in Spain and Scandinavia. 
 
 In England, Sculpture and Painting successfully cultivated. 
 Fanny Corbeaux. Superior in Biblical Scholarship. The Nether- 
 lands in this Century. Encouragement for Women to persevere. 
 Dr. Guhl's Opinion. History the Teacher of the Present. 
 
 WITH the foregoing glimpses, the sketch, of woman's 
 active efforts in art during the eighteenth century 
 may be closed ; completing our bird's-eye view of her 
 share in those ennobling pursuits during a history 
 covering over two thousand years. As we approach 
 the present time, the various branches in which her 
 
234 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 enterprise lias been influential develop into more dis- 
 tinct and vigorous growth. It may now be interest- 
 ing to notice the indications of our own the nine- 
 teenth century. 
 
 The progress of female talent and skill, accelerated 
 toward the close of the preceding age, has become 
 more remarkable than ever within the last fifty years. 
 The number of women engaged in the pursuits of art 
 during that time far exceeds that of the whole preced- 
 ing century. 
 
 This accession is probably owing, in a great meas- 
 ure, to the more general appreciation of art, growing 
 out of better intellectual cultivation, and to the grow- 
 ing taste for paintings and statuary as ornaments of 
 the abodes of the wealthy. But it is due, in some 
 degree, to the increased freedom of woman to her 
 liberation from the thraldom of old-fashioned preju- 
 dices and unworthy restraints which, in former times, 
 fettered her energies, rendered her acquisition of scien- 
 tific and artistic knowledge extremely difficult, and 
 threw obstacles in the way of her devotion to study 
 and the exercise of her talents. We have seen that, 
 the more enlarged is the sphere of her activity among 
 any people, the greater is the number of female artists 
 who have done and are doing well, by their sustained 
 and productive cultivation of art. 
 
 At the present time, the prospect is fair of a reward 
 for study and unfaltering application in woman as in 
 man ; her freedom without regarding as such the so- 
 called " emancipation," which would urge her into a 
 course against nature, and contrary to the gentleness 
 and modesty of her sex is greater, and the sphere of 
 her activity is wider and more effective than it has 
 ever been. The general and growing apprehension of 
 
INFLUENCE OF MODERN MASTERS. 235 
 
 the importance of female education will gradually lead 
 to dissatisfaction with the superficial culture of mod- 
 ern schools, and to the adoption of some plan that shall 
 develop the powers of those who are taught, and 
 strengthen their energies for the active duties of life. 
 Many advantages besides these have encouraged the 
 advancement of women as artists beyond any point 
 reached in preceding ages. We may thus find an in- 
 creasing number of young women who, bent on mak- 
 ing themselves independent by their own efforts, spare 
 no pains to qualify themselves as teachers in various 
 branches of art. 
 
 The same observation we made in regard to the in- 
 crease of art scholars in the last century is true of the 
 present. The stream which has widened has grown 
 shallower in proportion ; and while the cultivation of 
 taste and talent has become more general, and many 
 more have attained a respectable degree of skill, there 
 are few instances of pre-eminent ability, or of original 
 genius. This seems a law of the world of art, as well 
 as that of poetry and science ; and it holds good no 
 less among men than women. We must look, there- 
 fore, for not many remarkable examples of talent. 
 
 We have already seen something of the influence of 
 Carstens and David in the bent and direction given to 
 female talent ; but these had not full scope till the be- 
 ginning of the nineteenth century. David was inspired 
 by a more earnest feeling than had breathed in the 
 frivolous and conventional style of a former period ; 
 and the depth and vigor, and more careful execution 
 he brought into vogue, greatly improved the taste of 
 his day. He may be called the Eepublican painter, 
 laying the ground- work of French art as it now ex- 
 ists. 
 
236 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 David himself had a goodly number of female pu- 
 pils, and some of them displayed no inconsiderable 
 talent. Among them may be enumerated Constance 
 Marie Charpentier, who, besides, enjoyed the advant- 
 age of instruction under Gerard and Lafitte, with An- 
 gelique Mongez, at first the pupil of David, then of 
 Eegnault. She painted a large picture entirely in the 
 classic style of David. Her painting the figures life 
 size represented " Ulysses finding young Astyanax 
 at Hector's Grave." The design is correct of the an- 
 tique costume, the disposition is excellent, and a free 
 and light touch is noticed. So large a picture had. 
 rarely been exhibited in Paris by a woman. This art- 
 ist, however, lacked originality and self-reliance, and 
 seemed to follow David too slavishly. Another large 
 picture was "Alexander weeping at the Death of the 
 Wife of Darius." The connoisseurs gave her the cred- 
 it of a grand style, but thought her coloring hard. 
 
 To these may be added Madame Leroulx and Ma- 
 dame Davin. The latter received instruction, also, from 
 Suve* and Augustin, and obtained the gold medal for 
 her miniatures and genre-paintings. Nanine Ballain 
 was noted for her genre-paintings; and Marie Anne 
 Julie Forestier, for her romantic ones in this style and 
 for her classic pictures. 
 
 Contemporary with these were some female artists 
 who painted in the manner of Greuze ; as Constance 
 Mayer, afterward a disciple and friend of Prudhon ; 
 Madame Elie, and Philiberte Ledoux; the first well 
 known for her portraits, the latter for her scenes and 
 child-pictures. "We may mention, in passing, Madame 
 Tillers, whose numerous works were marked by truth 
 and pleasing expression. One of her pieces, "A Child 
 asleep in a Cradle," carried away by a flood, while a 
 
FEMALE ARTISTS IN FRANCE. 237 
 
 faithful dog plunges in to save it," with eager expres- 
 sion, is very striking and graceful. 
 
 Regnault, the rival of David, had the honor of many 
 more female scholars. One of them, Madame Anzon, 
 painted large pictures in 1793. Sophie Guillernard 
 sent to the Exhibition, in 1802, " Alcibiades and Gly- 
 cerion," and, two years later, her " Joseph and Poti- 
 phar's Wife." After this, Claire Kobineau produced 
 historical pictures and landscapes, and Kosalie de La- 
 fontaine her delicate genre-paintings. Aurore Etienne 
 de Lafond and Eugenie Brun obtained medals for their 
 master-pieces in miniature-painting. Madame Lenoir 
 painted Sage's portrait, and was much esteemed. A 
 host of names might be added, were a mere list de- 
 sirable. 
 
 The disciples and imitators of David also numbered 
 women among their pupils. Drolling's daughter, Lou- 
 ise Adeone, studied under his direction ; her first hus- 
 band was Pagnierre the architect. Fanny Kobert was 
 trained in Girodet's atelier ; Abel de Pujol taught Ad- 
 rienne Marie Louise Grandpierre Deverzy ; and Gerard 
 finished some of David's scholars, as Eleonore Gode- 
 froy, who exhibited portraits and copies from her mas- 
 ter after 1810, and Louise de Montferrier, Co^ftesse de 
 Hugo, whose genre-paintings were brought to the Ex- 
 hibition nine years later. Madame von Butlar, of 
 Dresden, studied under this master in 1823. 
 
 These were the latest masters in serious historical 
 painting till Robert Fleury and Leon Cogniet, who 
 could perhaps boast the greatest number of gifted fe- 
 male pupils. We should mention here Jeanne Eliza- 
 beth Gabiou, the wife of Antoine Denis Chaudet, born 
 in 1767, and dying about 1830. She was a pupil of 
 her husband, and painted " A Child Teaching a Dog 
 
238 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 to Bead," with many charming little pieces of the 
 kind ; excelling, too, as a portrait-painter. The em- 
 press bought one of her pictures. 
 
 The majority of French women artists of this period 
 busied themselves with portraits. Flower-painting 
 was also much in vogue, and miniature and porcelain 
 painting furnished continual employment for female 
 industry and talent. 
 
 In modeling and sculpture France has produced 
 some excellent artists since the commencement of the 
 present century. 
 
 MARIE D'ORLEANS. 
 
 One in particular, of illustrious station and royal 
 blood, too early snatched away by death, has conferred 
 lustre upon the whole class by whom the difficult and 
 delicate art has been cultivated. 
 
 Marie of Qrleans, the daughter of Louis Philippe, is 
 thus mentioned in Mrs. Lee's " Sketches." 
 
 " She was born at Palermo in 1813, and was mar- 
 ried in 1837 to Duke Alexander of Wurtemberg. Her 
 health was impaired, and she went to Pisa in the hope 
 of recovering, but died there in 1839. Her statue of 
 the Mai^of Orleans is of the size of life, and is placed 
 at Versailles ; it is full of animation and spirit. But 
 her last work, an angel in white marble, seems to be 
 the result of inspiration. It is in the chapel of Sablon- 
 ville, on the sarcophagus of her brother. It may be 
 deeply lamented that the Princess Marie did not live 
 to give additional proofs of the capability of her sex 
 for works of sculpture. Her early death frustrated 
 the efforts of a genius which bade fair to compete with 
 the graceful forms of Canova or Flaxman." 
 
 Mrs. Lee says, " We were much gratified by seeing 
 
FEMALE ARTISTS IN FRANCE. 239 
 
 a font in the church St. Germain de 1'Auxerrois in 
 Paris, by Madame Lamartine, the wife of the poet and 
 historian; the font is surrounded by marble angels, 
 who rest on its margin. It is a beautiful record of 
 her taste, ingenuity, and benevolence." 
 
 Paris at this period, more emphatically than ever, 
 was the centre of active efforts among artists. "Paris 
 Jest la France 11 was an expression as true as in the 
 literary and political life of the nation. This was ad- 
 vantageous for the development of talent, and the ad- 
 vance of skill in details ; bringing rival merits more 
 keenly into conflict, and furnishing the student with 
 more varied means of instruction. 
 
 Painting on porcelain became much practiced by 
 French women in the early part of the present century. 
 Amelie Legris was skilled in it, as well as in painting 
 in oil, miniatures, and aquarell. 
 
 Madame Jacotot was noted for her beautiful paint- 
 ings on porcelain. She was sent to Italy by the 
 French government to copy the paintings of Kaphael. 
 She lived in style, was in much society, and was dis- 
 tinguished for her wit. 
 
 Madame Ducluzeau is the wife of a physician, and 
 has gained considerable celebrity as an artist. The 
 Comtesse de Mirbel painted miniatures. Louis Phil- 
 ippe, and many persons of his court, and the nobility, 
 sat to her. She was employed to copy paintings for 
 cadeaus to royalty. 
 
 Madame Aizelin had some charming pieces in pastel 
 in the Paris Exhibition, 1857. Transparency of tissue 
 was never better rendered than in her gauze drapery. 
 Madame Fontaine, a pupil of Cogniet, excelled in the 
 department of still-life. Mademoiselle Augustine Au- 
 mont had twelve panels, giving the flowers of each 
 
240 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 month. Miss Mutrie, Mademoiselle Alloin, pupil of 
 Kosa Bonheur, and many other women, were praised 
 for beautiful groups of fruit and flowers. In this 
 branch, as in portraits, miniatures, and porcelain-paint- 
 ing, the palm of excellence is awarded to lady artists. 
 The productions of Madame Herbalin were conspicu- 
 ous for delicacy and purity of execution and coloring. 
 
 Casting a glance at the condition of art at this 
 period in Germany, it is noticeable that women took 
 part with enthusiasm in almost every branch. We 
 have observed the grounding of modern art in this 
 country by Carstens. He went back to the purer 
 forms of the antique, as his French contemporary, 
 David, had done ; and his restoration of purity, vigor, 
 and tenderness, found earnest sympathy among his 
 fair countrywomen. A style expressing the heart's 
 deepest feelings, and the religious veneration which 
 had become traditional, could not fail to meet the as- 
 pirations of noble-minded female artists. 
 
 Among artist-women who flourished at the close 
 of the eighteenth and in the present century we may 
 mention Mademoiselle Sonnenschein, who died in 
 1816, a member of the Academy in Stuttgard. We 
 should not drop, among minor names, that of Sophie 
 Ludovika Simanowitz, born Eeighenbach, whose por- 
 trait of Schiller is well known. 
 
 Magdalena Tischbein, a flower-painter, the daugh- 
 ter of a noted artist, married the court painter Strack, 
 of Oldenburg, in 1795. 
 
 The Princess of Saxe-Meiningen was noted for her 
 beautiful pictures illustrating Bible history. 
 
 Mary Anna Bosenbacher, of Cologne, an engraver, 
 was engaged in the service of the Elector Max Fran- 
 cis. 
 
IN GERMANY. 241 
 
 Barbara Krafft, born Steiner, of Iglau, painted a 
 number of genre-pictures of life size, and in this branch 
 was the precursor of Madame Jerichow-Baumann. She 
 died in Bamberg, in 1825, aged sixty. 
 
 One who was busy in Eome at this time was Maria 
 Ellenrieder. She had before visited the Academy in 
 Munich for the purpose of educating herself in his- 
 torical painting. In her works she sought to revive 
 the spirit of ancient German art, and her longings 
 drew her to the city which has long been the resort 
 of ambitious art-students, where we find her in 1820. 
 Among her productions are many altar-pieces, repre- 
 senting the Holy Family. Some have been litho- 
 graphed. Since 1825 she has lived in Germany, where 
 she has completed many works, and has practiced the 
 art of etching. 
 
 Louise Caroline Seidler was at the same time in 
 Eome. Born in Jena, she studied painting in Munich 
 under Professor Yon Langer, afterward going to Italy 
 to profit by the works of Pietro Perugino and Eaphael. 
 She received the appointment of court painter in "Wei- 
 mar, and executed several pictures that belong to the 
 romantic genre school. A splendid fruit of her study 
 of the old masters is a collection of heads taken from 
 celebrated pictures of the fifteenth and sixteenth cen- 
 turies. These were lithographed by Yon Schmeller, 
 and published in "Weimar in 1836. 
 
 Among the German artists in Eome at the same 
 period was Electrine Stuntz, afterward Baroness von 
 Freiberg. She was the daughter of a landscape-paint- 
 er of Strasburg, and devoted herself to historical 
 pieces. She was in the Eternal City during 1821 and 
 the following year, and was elected an honorary mem- 
 ber of the Academy of San Luca, occupying a position 
 
 L 
 
242 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 similar to that held by Angelica Kaiiffman. Her 
 works have a serious character, and Madonna pictures 
 abound in them. About 1823 she was married to 
 Baron von Freiberg, and thenceforward divided her 
 cares between her family and her art. Several of her 
 etchings were greatly admired, and brought her high 
 reputation. 
 
 Madame Caroline von Schroeter belongs to the 
 same period. She became distinguished in Rome in 
 1826 by her beautiful miniature-paintings, and was 
 there chosen member of the Academy of San Luca. 
 
 A few female artists belonged to the Diisseldorf 
 school, while in Weimar they were indefatigable in 
 supporting the ancient reputation. But the greatest 
 number is to be found in Berlin. The impetus there 
 given in various departments of learning, and the pa- 
 tronage of royal connoisseurs, with the superior culti- 
 vation of the people, had the happiest effect, and 
 brought out the richest bloom of female talent. No 
 branch of modern art has there been neglected by 
 women, and several have displayed a genius for sculp- 
 ture. Dilettanti of the highest rank have turned their 
 attention to painting; and those who have pursued 
 art as a profession, from dignified history -pieces down 
 to flowers and landscapes, have met with encouraging 
 success. In flower-painting and arabesques some very 
 important improvements have recently been made. 
 
 In the other cities of Germany, where women have 
 successfully engaged in such pursuits, less has been 
 done. Few have taken to the profession in Vienna, 
 though Dresden has maintained the old repute in this 
 particular, and her Academy is to this day a genial 
 nursery of female talent. 
 
 Italy, the birthplace of the fine arts, has experienced 
 
FANNY COKBEAUX. 243 
 
 the change common to all mundane things, and the 
 participation of her women in art is by no means so 
 great and significant as in earlier ages. Yet a few 
 names may be ranked with those who have gone be- 
 fore. Turin, Milan, and Eome have each produced 
 fair artists of distinction in various branches, and 
 their success promises to open the way to future en- 
 terprise. 
 
 Not so fair is the prospect in Spain and among the 
 Scandinavian nations. In England, on the other hand, 
 both sculpture and painting have been successfully 
 cultivated during the present century. We may men- 
 tion, in passing, Fanny Corbeaux, an artist and distin- 
 guished Biblical scholar, born in 1812. When she 
 was only fifteen years of age her father suddenly lost 
 his property, and became indigent. The daughter had 
 received only superficial instruction in drawing, but 
 determined to use her small skill to support her father 
 and herself. With the ardent spirit of youth she 
 threw herself into the undertaking, sparing herself no 
 severe labor, and so well directed were her efforts that, 
 before the end of the year, she obtained a silver medal 
 for water-color drawings. Within the next three years 
 she received another similar token of approbation, and 
 the gold medal of the Society of Arts. 
 
 All this time she had been her own instructor. She 
 afterward painted small pictures in oil and water- 
 colors, but confined herself chiefly to portraits. Her 
 superiority in Bibilical scholarship was shown by a 
 valuable series of letters on the Physical Geography 
 of the Exodus. She published another series entitled 
 " The Eephaim." 
 
 Fanny is described as being small, with figure slight- 
 ly bent, but cheerful and charming in manner. Her 
 
244 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 mother, living with her, is said to be lively and agile 
 in movement. 
 
 Miss Merrifield is the author of a treatise on the Art 
 of Painting. 
 
 A "Society of Female Artists" was established in 
 London in 1857. Among its members, and now secre- 
 tary to the association, is Mrs. Elizabeth Murray, the 
 wife of the English Consul at TenerifFe. She has great 
 celebrity as a water-color artist. Her style is dashing 
 and vigorous, but highly finished ; her coloring bright, 
 transparent, pure, and sparkling, though something de- 
 ficient in depth and middle tint. Mrs. Murray has late- 
 ly published a book entitled " Sixteen Years of an 
 Artist's Life, etc." She says of herself: " A vagabond 
 from a baby, I left England at eighteen, independent, 
 having neither master nor money. My pencil was 
 both to me, and, at the same time, my strength, my 
 comfort, and my intense delight." Honorable Mrs. 
 Monckton Mills, Miss Louisa Eayner, Miss Florence 
 Caxton, and others, are mentioned with praise. Mrs. 
 Benham Hay is known as the illustrator of Longfel- 
 low's Poems ; and Barbara Leigh Smith, an admirable 
 writer, is an excellent artist. Of Miss Mutrie's work 
 Mr. Euskin says : " It is always beautiful ;" and Miss 
 Howitt and Mrs. Carpenter are noted as artists. Many 
 whose names are now beginning to be familiar have 
 hardly yet done justice to their own powers. 
 
 The Netherlands have done their share during the 
 present century, preserving the old Dutch reputation, 
 and producing a number of women who have made 
 themselves independent by the exercise of skill in dif- 
 ferent departments of art. 
 
 The encouragement Goethe has given, in his ob- 
 servations on the women artists of his day, is applica- 
 
ENCOURAGING PROSPECTS. 245 
 
 ble to those of the present. They have taken more 
 firm hold, and manifested yet more ability in the pro- 
 fession. If many of them have been deficient in cre- 
 ative power, they have shown themselves capable of 
 the highest excellence in the tender, the graceful, the 
 pathetic, the ideal, and in the delicacy and quick per- 
 ception, which often achieves so much, as by intuition. 
 Dr. Gruhl regards the indications of the present age as 
 exceedingly promising, and urges women to enlarged 
 ambition and activity. Severe exertions are demand- 
 ed, but when was any success worth having command- 
 ed without them? The time is now ripe for their 
 emulation of their most eminent rivals of the other 
 sex, not by laying aside womanly delicacy, but by la- 
 bors entirely consistent with that true modesty which 
 will ever be the most attractive ornament of the sex. 
 History is the great teacher of the present ; and what 
 we have seen of the achievements of by -gone ages is so 
 full of encouragement, that it is but reasonable to look 
 for still greater triumphs in the wider arena now open- 
 ed, than have yet crowned the genius or the persever- 
 ing industry of woman. 
 
246 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 Felicie de Fauveau. Parentage. Her Mother a Legitimist. The 
 Daughter's Inheritance of Loyalty. Removals. Felicie's Studies. 
 Learns to Model. Resolves to be a Sculptor. Labor becoming 
 to a Gentlewoman. Her first Works. Early Triumphs. Social 
 Circle in Paris. Evening Employments. Revival of a peculiar 
 Taste. Mediaeval Fashions. The bronze Lamp. Equestrian 
 Sketch. Effect of the Revolution of 1830. The two Felicies leave 
 Paris. A rural Conspiracy. A domiciliary Visit. Escape of the 
 Ladies. Discovery and Capture. The Stratagem at the Inn. 
 Escape of Madame in Disguise. Imprisonment of Mademoiselle. 
 Works in Prison. Return to Paris. Politics again. Felicie 
 banished. Breaks up her Studio.; Poverty and Privation. Resi- 
 dence in Florence. Brighter Days. Character of Felicie. Per- 
 sonal Appearance. Her Dwelling and Studio. Her Works. 
 The casting of a bronze Statue. Industry and Retirement. "A 
 good Woman and a great Artist." ROSA BONHEUR. Her Birth in 
 Bordeaux. Her Father. Rosa a Dunce in Childhood. Her Par- 
 rot. Rambles. The Spanish Poet. Removal to Paris. Revolu- 
 tion and Misfortune. Death of Madame Bonheur. The Children 
 at School. Rosa detests Books and loves Roaming. Remarriage 
 of Bonheur. Rosa a Seamstress. Hates the Occupation. Prefers 
 turning the Lathe. Her Unhappiness. Placed at a Boarding- 
 school. Her Pranks and Caricatures. Abhorrence of Study. 
 Mortification at her Want of fine Clothes. Resolves to achieve a 
 Name and a Place in the World. Discontent and Gloom. Re- 
 turn home. Left to herself. Works in the Studio. Her Voca- 
 tion apparent. Studies at the Louvre. Her Ardor and Applica- 
 tion. The Englishman's Prophecy. Rosa vowed to Art. De- 
 voted to the Study of Animals. Excursions in the Country in 
 search of Models. Visits the Abattoirs. Study of various Types. 
 Visits the Museums and Stables. Resorts to the horse and cat- 
 tle Fairs in male Attire. Curious Adventures. Anatomical Stud- 
 ies. Advantages of her Excursions. Her Father her only Teach- 
 
FELICIE DE FAUVEAU. 247 
 
 er. The Family of Artists. Rosa's pet Birds and Sheep. Her 
 first Appearance. Rising Reputation. Takes the gold Medal. 
 Proclaimed the new Laureat. Death of her Father. Rosa Di- 
 rectress of the School of Design. Her Sister a Professor. "The 
 Horse-market." Rosa's Paintings. Bestows her Fortune on others. 
 Her Farm. Drawings presented to Charities. Demand for her 
 Paintings. Her Right to the Cross of the Legion of Honor. The 
 Emperor's Refusal to grant it to a Woman. Description of her 
 Residence and her Studio. Rosa found asleep. Her personal 
 Appearance. Dress. Her Character. Her Industry. Mademoi- 
 selle Micas. Mountain Rambles. Rosa's Visit to Scotland. Her 
 Life in the Mountains. At the Spanish Posada. Threatened 
 Starvation. Cooking Frogs. The Muleteers. Rosa's Scotch 
 Terrier. Her Resolution never to marry. 
 
 FELICIE DE FAUVEAU. 
 
 FELICIE was born in Tuscany, but was taken, when 
 an infant, to Paris, where her education commenced. 
 Her parents were persons of much intelligence and 
 culture. Her mother had great taste for music and 
 painting, and it was from her that her daughter's tal- 
 ents received their first direction and encouragement. 
 The family favored the aristocrats and Legitimists, and 
 endured much in the cause of the Bourbons. Ma- 
 dame de Fauveau's eyes had opened on the terrors of 
 the guillotine, and she was as proud of those memo- 
 ries of exile, proscription, and the scaffold as most 
 persons are of honor and titles. Her chivalrous loy- 
 alty looked on them as dignities, and the privilege of 
 suffering for the family to which she was devoted was 
 cheaply earned in her eyes by the ruin and exile of 
 her own. 
 
 The daughter shared in the mother's chivalrous 
 sentiments, and her cherished ideas of monarchy and 
 Romanism became perceptible in her conversation and 
 works, while her self-sacrificing spirit of loyalty re- 
 mained the same amid many vicissitudes. Owing to 
 
248 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 pecuniary losses, her parents were compelled, while 
 she was yet very young, to remove successively to 
 Limoux, Bayonne, and Besangon. While at Bayonne, 
 in 1823, she met with many partisans in the war then 
 raging on the frontiers of Spain men whose loyalty 
 amounted to fanaticism, and whose piety belonged to 
 the ancient time of the Crusades; from these her 
 youthful imagination must have received powerful 
 and indelible impressions. 
 
 Her studies were varied and profound; ancient 
 history, classic and modern languages, heraldry, and 
 archeology received her devoted attention. The 
 feudal and chivalric traditions of the Middle Ages 
 were explored with eagerness by her, and she repro- 
 duced and utilized the knowledge thus acquired. 
 During her residence in Besangon, she executed some 
 oil-paintings which were much praised ; but she seem- 
 ed to feel that canvas was not the material which 
 would most fully express her ideas. She had then 
 received no instruction in modeling. One day, in her 
 walk, she paused before the shop of one of the work- 
 men who carve images of virgins and saints for vil- 
 lage churches. Impelled irresistibly, she entered and 
 made inquiries as to the method of work, learning 
 thus the secrets of modeling in clay or wax, and of 
 carving wood or gold. It then appeared that her vo- 
 cation was decidedly for the plastic art. She had the 
 faculty of coloring with skill, and might have been a 
 great painter, had she not resolved to be a sculptor. 
 Her taste led her to adopt the mediaeval manner, and 
 she took Benevenuto Cellini for her prototype, occu- 
 pying herself with art in both its monumental and, 
 decorative character. 
 
 At the death of her father, the family consisting 
 
FELICIE DE FAUVEAU. 249 
 
 of the widow, two sons and three daughters was in 
 some distress. Felicie determined to devote her tal- 
 ents to their support. Some of her friends objected 
 that such employment was unbecoming one who be- 
 longed to a noble family. " Unbecoming !" said she, 
 drawing herself up with a noble pride ; " Sachez qylun 
 artiste tel que moi est gentilhomme" 
 
 The first work she exhibited was a group from 
 Scott's novel, " The Abbot." Encouraged by its bril- 
 liant success, she produced a basso-relievo, consisting 
 cf six figures Christina of Sweden and Monaldeschi 
 in the fatal gallery of Fontainebleau. This work was 
 in the Exposition des Beaux Arts, and it received 
 from Charles X. in person the gold medal awarded by 
 the jury. The dramatic energy of the group, the ex- 
 pression of the figures, and the beauty of the minor 
 details won universal admiration, and it was hailed as 
 offering the brightest promise of future excellence. 
 The triumphant artist was then a girl in the bloom of 
 early youth ; and, flattered and delighted at the ap- 
 preciation she met with, it is not to be wondered at 
 that her resolution to adhere to the career she had 
 chosen was steadfast and immovable. 
 
 Felicie remained in Paris with her family till 1830. 
 Her mother's house was the centre of a charming circle 
 of persons of high rank, of cultivated women, and of 
 accomplished artists, such as Scheffer, Steuben, Gras- 
 sier, Paul Delaroche, Triqueti, Gros, Giraud, etc. So 
 distinguished and agreeable was the mother, so sen- 
 sible and so witty was the conversation of the daugh- 
 ter, that their society was coveted and prized. The 
 friends assembled of an evening in their drawing-room 
 would gather round a large centre-table, and impro- 
 vise drawings in pencil, chalk, and pen and ink ; or 
 
 L2 
 
250 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 would model, in clay or wax, brooches and ornaments, 
 sword handles and scabbards, dagger-hilts, etc. The 
 young lady wished to revive those famous days when 
 sculpture lent its aid to the gold and silver smith, the 
 jeweler, the clock-maker, and the armorer. To her 
 may be chiefly attributed the impulse given to this 
 taste in Paris a taste that infected England also, re- 
 viving mediaeval fashions for ornaments, and also 
 mediaeval feelings and aspirations, which at last found 
 expression in Puseyism in religion, and pre-Kaphael- 
 ism in art. 
 
 She executed, for Count Portales, a bronze lamp of 
 singular beauty, representing a bivouac of archangels 
 armed as knights. They are resting round a watch- 
 fire, while one, St. Michael, is standing sentinel. It is 
 in the old Anglo-Saxon style. Eound the lamp, in 
 golden letters, is the device, li Vaillant, veillant." Be- 
 neath is a stork's foot holding a pebble, a symbol of 
 vigilance, surrounded by beautiful aquatic plants. 
 The work was poetically conceived, and executed 
 with great spirit and finish. She also commenced a 
 work which she called "a monument to Dante," and 
 sketched an equestrian statue of Charles VIII. On 
 returning from the expedition to Naples, it was said, 
 the monarch paused on the ascent of the Alps, and 
 turned to take a last farewell of the beautiful country 
 " wooed, not wed" which he so unwillingly aban- 
 doned. The sculptress was most successful in render- 
 ing this expression of sadness and yearning. The 
 pose of the horse was natural, yet commanding ; and 
 the work would doubtless have been a master-piece ; 
 but, unfortunately, the model had to be destroyed, on 
 the breaking up of her studio. 
 
 Mademoiselle de Fauveau had now acquired an 
 
FELICIE DE FAUVEAU. 251 
 
 eminence and gained a celebrity which must have 
 satisfied the most ambitious. She was incessantly 
 occupied with commissions for most of the private 
 galleries in France ; and a place was promised her 
 among those great artists who are employed to adorn 
 public monuments, and whose works enrich public 
 collections. She was to have modeled two doors for 
 the gallery in the Louvre, after the manner of Ghi- 
 berti's Gates of Paradise ; a baptistery and pulpit in 
 one of the metropolitan churches had been already 
 spoken of, when the revolution of 1830 broke up this 
 calm and noble existence, and ended her career in 
 Paris. 
 
 To Mademoiselle de Fauveau, with her extreme 
 opinions, this revolution was a personal calamity. She 
 had identified the glory and greatness of France with 
 the elder branch of the Bourbons. The times for her 
 were evil and out of joint; she abhorred the Paris 
 which had overthrown what she considered a legiti- 
 mate, to set up a pseudo royalty, and she longed, with 
 all the concentration and single-mindedness of her 
 character, for an opportunity of leaving the city. This 
 soon presented itself. Among other noble and dis- 
 tinguished persons who were proud of their acquaint- 
 ance with this gifted woman, were members of the 
 Duras family. The married daughter, who bore the 
 beloved but fatal name of La Eoche Jacquelein, sym- 
 pathized entirely with the opinions and feelings of her 
 namesake, Felicie. She invited the artist to leave 
 Paris, and accompany her on a visit to her estates in 
 La Vendee. During this visit, which was at first con- 
 sidered a mere relaxation from severe labor and study, 
 riding, shooting, and hunting took the place of design- 
 ing, modeling, and casting. But, after a while, a more 
 
252 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 serious purpose was contemplated, and a loftier end 
 proposed. Mademoiselle de Fauveau found herself 
 in the thick of a political conspiracy. A regular 
 chouannerie was organized, and our poetical artist dis- 
 tinguished herself by her spirit, energy, and determin- 
 ation. To this day the peasantry in that part of 
 France always speak of her as " la demoiselle" 
 
 The authorities at last took umbrage, and a domicil- 
 iary visit was made to the chateau. The two ladies, 
 warned in time, escaped, and took refuge in a neigh- 
 boring farm-house. But arms and ammunitions were 
 found in the chateau, with compromising letters and 
 treasonable symbols. Orders were given to pursue 
 and arrest the fugitives. The farm-house was searched 
 in vain ; the peasants were questioned, but their fidel- 
 ity was unimpeachable. Unfortunately, however, some 
 faint sounds were heard behind an oven ; the grated 
 door was removed, and the two rebels, who had so 
 nearly defeated the search of their pursuers, were dis- 
 covered, arrested, and sent under a strong guard to 
 Angers. 
 
 At the first stage they stopped at an inn. The 
 captives were conducted to a room up stairs ; the door 
 was locked, and their guards descended to the kitchen 
 to refresh themselves. Presently a maid-servant was 
 sent up to receive their orders for supper. In an in- 
 stant, Madame de la Eoche Jacquelein made herself 
 understood by this woman. As soon as the supper 
 was brought up, and the door closed, she effected an 
 exchange of clothes, and, thus disguised, descended 
 boldly, plates in hand, to the kitchen. She quickly 
 deposited her burden on the dresser, and then, taking 
 up the milk-pail, announced in the pretty patois of the 
 country her intention to fetch the milk from the dairy. 
 
FELICIE DE* FAUVEAU. 253 
 
 It is said the lady looked so captivating in her new 
 costume that a gallant sergeant made advances to her, 
 which she was obliged to repress vigorously, so as to 
 proceed unattended. She reached the dairy, went out 
 at a back door, crossed some fields, and was soon out 
 of reach. Mademoiselle de Fauveau remained quiet- 
 ly in her room, allowing the servant to sleep with her, 
 so as to lull all suspicion, and give as much time as 
 possible for the escape. The next morning the eva- 
 sion of Madame was discovered, and caused great con- 
 sternation. It was thought necessary to take the most 
 rigid precautions, such as obliging Mademoiselle de 
 Fauveau to have a guard in her sleeping-room, who 
 was authorized to disturb her whenever he wished to 
 make sure of her presence, to prevent her following 
 her friend's example. She was thus transferred to 
 Angers, and remained seven months in prison. 
 
 Her bold spirit and elastic temperament were not 
 weakened or cast down by this destruction of her 
 hopes. She took advantage of the forced seclusion 
 to resume her occupations. In prison she modeled 
 several small groups ; one of them, composed of twelve 
 figures, representing the duel of the Sire de Jarnee 
 and the Count de la Chataignevaie in the presence of 
 Henry II. and his court. She also designed a monu- 
 ment for Louis de Bonnechose, who had lately perish- 
 ed in an affray with some soldiers sent to arrest him. 
 The background of this composition is architectural, 
 in the Gothic style, adorned with the blazoned shields, 
 achievements, and banners which belong peculiarly to 
 the Vendean party. On the summit of the edifice is 
 anangel, whose face is veiled, supporting the armorial 
 shield of the deceased ; in the foreground the Arch- 
 angel Michael, terrible and victorious, has just killed 
 
254 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 the dragon. This dragon has a head like a cock a 
 type of the French republic. Michael bears in his 
 right hand the avenging sword, and in his left holds 
 a pair of crystal scales ; in one of these are figures of 
 judges, advocates, and magistrates ; in the other, which 
 weighs down these, is a single drop of blood, with 
 this inscription : 
 
 " Quam gravis est sanguis justi inultus." 
 
 In this sketch, as, indeed, in all Felicie's works, the 
 sjrmbolical beauty inspires the whole ; the ideal gives 
 spirit to the material form, while the form receives its 
 noblest distinction as the fitting vehicle of the idea. 
 
 After seven months' imprisonment, Mademoiselle de 
 Fauveau was set at liberty, and returned to Paris and 
 her studio. Very soon afterward, the appearance of 
 the Duchesse de Bern in Vendee set on fire all Roy- 
 alist imaginations. Madame de la Roche Jacquelein 
 and our fair artist again left Paris, and worked day 
 and night for the cause so dear to their hearts, to reap 
 again disappointment, failure, and misfortune. This 
 episode in Felicie's life may show how strong was the 
 political bias which gave tone and character to both 
 her private and artistic life. " My opinions are dearer 
 to me than my art," she said, and her actions proved 
 this. She was one of the forlorn hope that stood up 
 in the breach to save a falling dynasty ; and with 
 its ruins were ingulfed her own fortune, her pros- 
 pects, and such part of her success as depended on the 
 public recognition and acceptance of art in her own 
 country. 
 
 After the failure of this second attempt of the Le- 
 gitimists, Mademoiselle de Fauveau was among the 
 persons exiled. She first took refuge in Switzerland ; 
 
FELICIE DE FAUVEAU. 255 
 
 then returned to Paris, in the very teeth of the author- 
 ities, broke up her studio and establishment there,, and 
 went to Florence, where she fixed her permanent abode 
 with her mother and brother. 
 
 Considerable expense and outlay are necessary to 
 carry on the art of sculpture, and a removal from a 
 studio in which were accumulated sketches, models, 
 and marbles most of them not portable was almost 
 total ruin. The forced sale of furniture ; the transfer, 
 at a heavy discount, of funds which had to be rein- 
 vested, added serious items to the amount of loss. 
 From the fragments thus thrown aside fortunes were 
 made. At the very time when the little family was 
 enduring bitter privation in Florence, a man realized 
 an almost fabulous sum by selling walking-sticks man- 
 ufactured from designs made by Mademoiselle de Fau- 
 veau in those happy Paris evenings before mentioned. 
 
 The expense attendant on establishing a new studio 
 in Florence had to be met by the labor of many years. 
 Madame de Fauveau, at this period, was the guardian 
 angel of the family, and thought no sacrifice too great 
 for the encouragement of her daughter's genius, and 
 the advancement of her views. Her own poetical and 
 imaginative mind aroused and fostered the ideas of the 
 sculptress, while her unflinching resignation and hum- 
 ble faith soothed and solaced her heart. 
 
 With unparalleled nobleness, in spite of extreme 
 poverty, the family refused to receive a sous from the 
 princes or the party they had so served. No fleck of 
 the world's dust can be thrown on that spotless fidel- 
 ity. It was at this period, when each day's labor 
 scarcely sufficed to provide for daily necessities, that 
 Mademoiselle de Fauveau wrote to one of her friends, 
 " We artists are like the Hebrews of old ; manna is 
 
256 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 sent to us, but on condition we save none for the mor- 
 row." 
 
 Brighter days dawned. Labor is not only its own 
 reward, in the happiness it confers, but those who sow 
 unweariedly and judiciously shall reap fairly. Our 
 sculptress achieved a modest independence. It was 
 probably at this time of her life that her friend the 
 Baroness de Krafft sketched her character, dwelling 
 on the contrasts presented by her history, in which her 
 mind was developed, and the bent of her nature de- 
 termined. " Fire, air, and water," she says, " are in 
 that organization ;" and it is true that ardor, purity, 
 and impulse are the characteristics of her genius. On 
 the one hand we see the lady of the Faubourg St. Ger- 
 maine, with all the habits, associations, and prejudices 
 which belong to her order ; on the other, the artist, 
 earning her daily bread, and obliged to face in their 
 reality the sternest necessities and most imperative ob- 
 ligations ; the single woman treading victoriously the 
 narrow and thorny path which all women tread who 
 seek to achieve independence by their own exertions ; 
 and the genius which, to attain breadth and vigor, 
 must freely sweep out of its path limitations and ob- 
 stacles. These contrasts appear in her person and 
 manner. Her glance, usually soft, can kindle and 
 grow stern. Madame de Krafft notices that the move- 
 ments of her arms are somewhat abrupt and angular, 
 but her hands " are white, soft, and fine, royal as the 
 hands of Cassar, or of Leonardo da Vinci." 
 
 Mademoiselle de Fauveau is described by a visitor 
 as being fair, with low and broad forehead ; soft, brown, 
 penetrating eyes, aquiline nose, and mouth finely chis- 
 eled, well closed, and slightly sarcastic. Of the me- 
 dium height, her figure is flexible and well formed. 
 
FELICIE DE FAUVEAU. 257 
 
 Her ordinary studio dress is velvet, of that "feuille 
 morte" color Madame Cottin has made famous ; with 
 a jacket of the same fastened by a small leathern belt, 
 & foulard round the neck, and a velvet cap. Her hair 
 is blonde, cut square on the forehead and short on the 
 neck, and left rather longer at the sides, in the Van- 
 dyke manner. The face, and figure, and presence, give 
 the impress of a firm but not aggressive nature, reveal- 
 ing the energy of resistance, not of defiance. Opinions 
 strongly held and enunciated, defended to the death, 
 if necessary, give such an aspect. Combined with this 
 peculiarity is a look of thoughtful melancholy, such 
 as Eetzch has represented in his sketches of Faust. In 
 fact, the head, in a statuette of herself, might serve as 
 an ideal of the world-famous student. There are two 
 admirable likenesses of her : one by Ary Scheffer and 
 one by Giraud. 
 
 Her dwelling is in the Via delle Fornace, where are 
 also the studios of Powers and Fedi. A dark green 
 door opens into a paved covered court, formerly the 
 entrance to a convent, which is now adapted to form 
 a modern habitation. On one side a flight of stairs 
 leads to the upper rooms, another door leads to the 
 studio ; a third opens on a cool, quiet garden, shaded 
 by trees. There are dovecotes, pigeon-houses, and 
 bird-cages ; and the walks are hedged with laurels and 
 cypresses, while there are gay flowers mingled with 
 Etruscan vases and jars. The artist's drawing-room 
 looks like the parlor of an abbess, furnished with an- 
 tique hangings, carved chairs, silver crucifixes, and 
 gold-grounded, pre-Kaphaelite pictures, some of great 
 beauty and value. From this drawing-room, half 
 oratory and half boudoir, the visitor descends to the 
 studio, which is composed of two or three large white- 
 washed rooms on the ground floor. 
 
258 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 The first thing that strikes one here is the evidence 
 of the artist's indefatigable industry. Here are casts 
 and bassi-relievi from the antique, but no goddesses, 
 nymphs, or cupids ; it is Christian art of the mediaeval 
 period. Saints and angels cover the walls; in the 
 centre is a large crucifix of carved wood, beautifully 
 executed, and full of vigor and expression ; near it is 
 a Santa Eeparata, designed in terra-cotta. Mademoi- 
 selle de Fauveau has been peculiarly successful in her 
 adaptation of terra-cotta to artistic purposes. A large 
 alto-relievo represents two freed spirits flying heaven- 
 ward, dropping their earthly chains. A lovely St. 
 Dorothea looks upward, and holds up her hands for a 
 basket of flowers and fruit which a descending angel 
 is bringing from Paradise. Bold and rapid move- 
 ment is expressed in the flying figure. In the back- 
 ground is an architectural design of a church, and an 
 inscription describing how it sprang, as it were, from 
 the martyr's blood. There is a Judith addressing the 
 Israelites from an open gallery, with the head of Holo- 
 fernes on a spear beside her. In the aspect of the res- 
 olute woman of Bethulia there is an undefinable re- 
 semblance to the artist. The expression, indeed, is 
 congenial to her character, in which there is the con- 
 centration of purpose which gives force, and the ardor 
 that gives decision to the will. 
 
 There are also works of a lighter character ; the 
 carved frame- work of a mirror, with an exquisite alle- 
 gorical design a fop and a coquette, in elaborate cos- 
 tume, are bending inward toward the glass, so intent 
 on self-admiration as to be unconscious that a demon 
 below has caught their feet in a line or snare from 
 which they will not be able to extricate themselves 
 without falling. Most of Mademoiselle de Fauveau's 
 
FELICIE DE FAUVEAU. 259 
 
 works have superabundant richness of ornament and 
 allegorical device. Her designs for gold and silver 
 ornaments are unrivaled for elegance and imaginative 
 picturesqueness. 
 
 She made for Count Zichy a Hungarian costume, 
 the collar, belt, sword, and spurs being of the most 
 finished workmanship. A silver bell, ornamented with 
 twenty figures, for the Empress of Kussia, represents 
 a mediaeval household, in the costumes of the period, 
 and their peculiar avocations, assembling at the call 
 of three stewards, whose figures form the handle. 
 Eound the ball is blazoned, in Gothic characters, " De 
 bon vouloir servir le maitre" 
 
 It would be tedious to enumerate the works of this 
 indefatigable artist. The finished specimens of twen- 
 ty-five years of labor are shut up in private galleries, 
 the models remaining in her studio. Her last and 
 most imposing work is the monument in Santa Croce, 
 erected to the memory of Louise Favreau by her pa- 
 rents. Madame de Krafft published a description of 
 this in the Revue Britannique for March, 1857. Three 
 monuments, in different styles, may be seen in the 
 Lindsay chapel. In her studio are several busts of 
 great beauty, strongly relieved by her method of 
 placing an architectural back-ground. One is the bust 
 of the Marquis de Bretignieres, the founder of the 
 reformatory school colony of Mettray. 
 
 Besides devoting herself to the actual expression of 
 her ideas, Madame de Fauveau has, all her life, studied 
 to improve the mere mechanical portion of her art. 
 She endeavored to revive certain secrets known to the 
 ancients, which have been abandoned and forgotten, 
 to the detriment of modern sculpture. To cast a statue 
 entire, instead of in portions, and with so much pre- 
 
260 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 cision as to require no farther touch of the chisel to 
 preserve inviolate, as it were, the idea, while it is sub- 
 ject to the difficult process of clothing it with form, 
 has been her life-long endeavor. In bronze, by means 
 of wax, she succeeded, after repeated failures, with 
 incredible perseverance. A figure of St. Michael in 
 one of her works was thus cast seven times. The 
 least obstacle, were it only the breadth of a pin's point 
 in one of the air- vents which are necessary to. draw the 
 seething metal into every part of the mould, is enough 
 to destroy the work. At last her head workman 
 brought her St. Michael complete ; all the energy and 
 delicacy of the original design being preserved, and 
 none of the pristine freshness lost in the translation 
 from wax to bronze. 
 
 Mademoiselle de Fauveau works almost incessantly, 
 scarcely allowing herself any relaxation. Her prin- 
 cipal associates are a few of the higher church digni- 
 taries, and two or three distinguished Italian or for- 
 eign families. Eetirement is agreeable to her, and her 
 political opinions have drawn around her -a line of 
 demarkation. She has paid two visits to Kome : one 
 when the Due de Bordeaux was there. He paid her 
 much attention, as did the two great princes of art, Cor- 
 nelius and Tenerani, at that time in Rome. Thus sit- 
 uated, beloved by many, admired and appreciated by 
 all, this clever artist and noble woman leads an hon- 
 ored life, which seems a realized dream of work, prog- 
 ress, and success. 
 
 From every point of view, a life so spent is a curi- 
 ous and interesting study. There is the independence 
 belonging to an existence devoted to art, with almost 
 cloistral simplicity and formality. She had been hard- 
 ly ever separated from her proud and devoted mother 
 
ROSA BONHEUR. 261 
 
 till her death, in 1858. The loss left her inconsolable. 
 Her brother, an artist of merit, resides with her, assists 
 in most of her works, and is the support and comfort 
 of her life. Her happy home and domestic relations 
 have helped to expand and refine her genius. A 
 woman's art, as well as her heart, suffers when the 
 home in which she works is uncongenial. Our artist's 
 name Felicie has proved a good omen for one who 
 is at once u a good woman and a great artist." 
 
 ROSA BONHEUR.* 
 
 Eosalie Bonheur as she is called in her acte de nais- 
 sance was born in Bordeaux on the 16th of March, 
 1822. Her father, Oscar Eaymond Bonheur, was a 
 painter of merit, who had in youth taken the highest 
 honors at the exhibitions of his native town. He de- 
 voted part of his time to giving drawing-lessons in 
 families for the support of his aged parents. An at- 
 tachment sprung up between him and one of his pu- 
 pils Sophie Marques a lovely and accomplished 
 girl. Her family opposed their union on account of 
 the artist's poverty ; and after the marriage the young 
 people were thrown entirely on their own resources. 
 Eosalie was the eldest of their four children. Her fa-, 
 ther was compelled to give up his dreams of fame and 
 the higher labors of his art, and for eight years main- 
 tained his family by teaching drawing. 
 
 Eosalie or Eosa, as she has always called herself 
 was a wild, active, impetuous child, impatient of re- 
 straint, and having a detestation of study. She was a 
 long time in acquiring even the elements of reading 
 and writing. When not in the fields, she was in the 
 
 * This sketch was prepared under the supervision of Mademoiselle 
 Bonheur. 
 
262 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 garden. She remembers a gray parrot, a pet of her 
 grandfather's, that often called out " Kosa ! Kosa !" in 
 a voice like her mother's, and would bring her in, 
 when her mother would seize the opportunity to make 
 her repeat her catechism. When the lesson was over, 
 the little girl would scold the bird angrily for the trick 
 it had played her. But if Eosa hated her books, she 
 dearly loved all objects in nature, and was happiest 
 when rambling in wood or meadow, gathering posies 
 as large as herself. Her complexion was fair, with 
 rosy cheeks ; her light auburn hair curled in natural 
 ringlets ; and she was so plump that the Spanish poet 
 Moratia, who then lived in Bordeaux, and spent his 
 evenings at Bonheur's, used to call her his "round 
 ball." He would romp with the merry child for hours 
 together, and laugh over the rude figures she was fond 
 of cutting out of paper. Eosa was fond of amusing 
 herself in her father's studio, drawing rough outlines 
 on the walls, or burying her little fat hands in the 
 clay, and making grotesque attempts at modeling, 
 though these childish efforts were not noticed by her 
 family as showing any genius. The exiled poet, how- 
 ever, saw the boldness, vigor, and originality of her 
 nature, and often prophesied that his favorite would 
 turn out, in some way, "a remarkable woman." 
 
 In 1829 Eaymond Bonheur quitted Bordeaux, and 
 established himself with his family in Paris. Inter- 
 ested in the ideas then fermenting in the public mind, 
 he entered into the excitement that preceded the Eev- 
 olution of July. Periods of national effervescence are 
 not favorable to art; the painter could not sell his 
 pictures, and had to betake himself once more to giv- 
 ing drawing-lessons. His wife gave lessons on the 
 piano ; but the growing agitation of the social and po- 
 
KOSA BONHEUK. 263 
 
 litical world made their united exertions profitless. 
 Madame Bonheur sustained her husband's courage 
 throughout this trying period, while she was often 
 compelled, after the day's labors, to sit up half the 
 night to earn with her needle a precarious support for 
 the morrow. When public tranquillity returned, Bon- 
 heur resumed his teaching, and had some of his works 
 noticed in the Paris Exhibition. 
 
 Madame Bonheur died in 1833. The father then 
 placed the three elder children with an honest woman 
 La Mere Catherine who lived in the Champs Ely- 
 sees ; Juliette, the youngest, being sent to friends in 
 Bordeaux. La Mere sent her little charges to the 
 Mutual School of Chaillot. Eosa, now in her eleventh 
 year, and detesting books and confinement as heartily 
 as ever, generally contrived to avoid the school-room, 
 and spent most of her time in the grassy and wooded 
 spots afforded in the Bois de Boulogne, and other en- 
 virons of Paris. Two years passed thus ; the children 
 being plainly clad and living on the humblest fare. 
 Eosa meanwhile, with her passion for independence 
 and outdoor life, incurred almost daily the angry rep- 
 rimands of La Mere Catherine, who was distressed at 
 her neglect of school for her rambles. " I never spent 
 an hour of fine weather indoors during the whole of 
 the time," she often said. But this sort of gipsy life 
 could not last. Eaymond Bonheur married again, 
 took a house in the Faubourg du Eoule, brought the 
 three children home, and endeavored to put them in 
 a way to make a position for themselves. The two 
 boys Auguste and Isidore were placed in a respect- 
 able school, in which their father gave three lessons a 
 week by way of payment ; and Eosa, who could not 
 be got to learn any thing out of a book, and seemed 
 
26-i WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 to have neither taste nor talent for any thing but 
 rambling about in the sunshine, was placed with a 
 seamstress, in order that she might learn to make a 
 living by her needle. 
 
 Nothing could have been more disagreeable to the 
 poor girl than the monotonous employment to which 
 she was thus condemned. The mere act of sitting 
 still on a chair was torture to her active temperament ; 
 she ran the needle into her fingers at every stitch, and 
 bending over her hated task made her head ache, and 
 filled her with inexpressible weariness and disgust. 
 The husband of the seamstress was a turner, and had 
 his lathe in an adjoining room. Eosa's sole consola- 
 tion was to slip into this room, and obtain the turner's 
 permission to help him work the lathe. If he were 
 absent, she would do her utmost to set the lathe in 
 motion by herself, more than once doing some damage 
 to the turner's tools. But these stolen pleasures were 
 insufficient to compensate her for the repulsiveness of 
 her new avocation ; and whenever her father, with his 
 pockets full of bonbons, came to see her and learn 
 how she was getting on, she would throw herself into 
 his arms in a passion of tears, and beseech him to take 
 her away. Every week her distress became more and 
 more evident; she lost her appetite and color, and 
 was apparently falling ill. Her father was much dis- 
 appointed at the ill success of his attempt to make of 
 his wild daughter an orderly and industrious needle- 
 woman ; but he was too fond of her to persevere in 
 an experiment so repugnant to her feelings. He 
 therefore broke off the arrangement with the seam- 
 stress, and took her home. 
 
 After thinking over many plans for her, he at 
 length succeeded in making an arrangement for her 
 
ROSA BONHEUR. 265 
 
 reception in a boarding-school in the Eue de Eeuilly, 
 Faubourg St. Antoine, on the same terms as those he 
 had obtained for her brothers. A vast deal of good 
 advice was expended on her, with many earnest ex- 
 hortations to make the best use of the advantages of 
 the school, by diligent application to her studies. 
 
 For a short time after her entrance into this estab- 
 lishment, Eosa was delighted with her new life, for 
 she speedily became a favorite with her young com- 
 panions, the leader in all their games, and the invent- 
 or of innumerable pranks. But the teachers were far 
 from being equally satisfied with the new pupil, who 
 could not be got to learn a lesson, and who threw the 
 household into confusion with her doings. One of 
 her favorite amusements was to draw caricatures of 
 the governesses and professors; which caricatures, 
 after coloring, she cut out very carefully, and con- 
 trived to fasten to the ceiling of the school-room, by 
 means of bread patiently chewed to the consistence of 
 putty, and applied to the heads of the figures. The 
 sensation created by this novel exhibition of portrait- 
 ure, and the ludicrous bowings and courtesyings of 
 the paper figures, as they swayed over the heads of 
 their originals, may be easily imagined. The pupils 
 would go beside themselves with suppressed laughter; 
 the teachers were naturally more displeased than di- 
 verted. The mistress of the establishment, struck 
 with the vigor and originality of these drawings, 
 caused them to be detached from the ceiling, and 
 placed them privately in an album, where, it is said, 
 they have been treasured to this day. But Eosa was 
 none the less pronounced a very naughty girl ; and 
 she generally found herself condemned to bread and 
 water about five days in the week. 
 
 M 
 
266 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Eosa Bonheur is by no means deficient in the facul- 
 ty of acquiring knowledge, and has since made up, in 
 her own way, for her early disinclination to study ; 
 but it was absolutely impossible for her, at that time, 
 to constrain her mercurial temperament to the meas- 
 ured regularity of a class ; and the only branch of study 
 in which she made any progress was drawing, which 
 she practiced assiduously, sharing the lessons given 
 twice a week by her father in return for her school- 
 ing. 
 
 Eosa, however, was far from happy. Besides the 
 constant trouble in which her love of frolic and mis- 
 chief involved her, there was another annoyance that 
 poisoned her peace, and gradually rendered her stay 
 in the school intolerably painful. 
 
 All the other pupils being daughters of rich trades- 
 men, they were elegantly dressed, and had their silver 
 forks and cups at table, and plenty of pocket-money 
 for the gratification of their school-girl fancies. Eosa, 
 with her calico frocks and coarse shoes, her iron spoon, 
 tin mug, and empty pockets, felt keenly the inferiori- 
 ty of her position. Her father was as good and as 
 clever as the fathers of her companions ; why, then, 
 was he not rich? Why must she wear calico and 
 drink out of tin, while the other girls had silver mugs 
 and beautiful silk dresses ? Too generous to be en- 
 vious, and treated as a favorite by the other pupils, 
 the proud and sensitive child yet recoiled instinctively 
 from a contact which awakened in her mind an un- 
 reasoning sense of injustice, and humiliated her, as she 
 felt, for no fault of her own. She had no wish to de- 
 prive her little companions of the superior advantages 
 of their lot, but she longed to possess the same, tor- 
 menting herself day and night with pondering on her 
 
ROSA BONHEUE. 267 
 
 difficulties, and seeking to devise some plan by which 
 they might be overcome. To this period, with its se- 
 cret mental experiences, is to be traced that firm re- 
 solve to achieve a name and a place for herself in the 
 world to a perception of whose social facts she was 
 now beginning to awaken which sustained her 
 through the subsequent phases of her artistic develop- 
 ment. Yet this resolve, though prompted by a gall- 
 ing sense of the humble character of her wardrobe and 
 " belongings," pointed less to the acquisition of greater 
 elegance of dress and personal conditions to which 
 she has subsequently shown herself almost indifferent 
 than to the attainment of a superior and independ- 
 ent social position. She was determined to be some- 
 thing, though she could not see what, and felt no doubt 
 of the accomplishment of her purpose, though as yet 
 she had no idea of the mode in which it was to be car- 
 ried out. Meanwhile, her secret discontent preyed on 
 her spirits and affected her health. She became re- 
 served and gloomy, and while seeking, with feverish 
 anxiety, to devise the sort of work that should enable 
 her to gain for herself the superior position she so ar- 
 dently coveted, she became more and more neglectful 
 of her studies, until, her teachers and her father being 
 alike discouraged by her seeming idleness, the latter 
 withdrew her from the school, and once more took 
 her home. 
 
 More than ever perplexed what to do with her, her 
 father now left her for a time entirely to herself. Thus 
 abandoned to her own spontaneous actions, Eosa, who 
 felt that the idle and aimless life she had hitherto led 
 was little calculated to help her to the realization of 
 her secret ambition, and who was full of unacknowl- 
 edged regret and remorse for her incapacity and use- 
 
268 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 lessness, sought refuge from her own uncomfortable 
 thoughts in her father's studio, where she amused her- 
 self with imitating every thing she saw him do ; draw- 
 ing and modeling, day after day, with the utmost dil- 
 igence and delight, happy as long as she had in her 
 hands a pencil, a piece of charcoal, or a lump of clay. 
 In the quiet and congenial activity of the studio, her 
 excited feelings became calm, and her ideas grew 
 clearer ; she began to understand herself, and to de- 
 vise the path nature had marked out for her. As this 
 change took place in her mind, the desultory and pur- 
 poseless child became rapidly transformed into the 
 earnest, self-conscious, determined woman. She drew 
 and modeled from morning till night with enthusiastic 
 ardor; and her father, amazed at her progress, and 
 perceiving at last the real bent of her nature, devoted 
 himself seriously to her instruction, superintending 
 her efforts with the greatest interest and care. He 
 took her through a serious course of preparatory 
 study, and then sent her to the Louvre to copy the 
 works of the old masters, as a discipline for her eye, 
 her hand, and her judgment. 
 
 Surrounded and stimulated by the glorious creations 
 of the great painters the first to enter the gallery and 
 the last to leave it too much absorbed in her model 
 to be conscious of any thing that went on around her, 
 Eosa pursued her labors with unwavering zeal. 
 
 " I have never seen an example of such application, 
 and such ardor for work," remarked M. Jousselin, di- 
 rector of the Louvre, in describing the deportment of 
 the young student. 
 
 The splendid coloring and form of the Italian schools, 
 the lofty idealism of the German, and the broad nat- 
 uralism of the Dutch, alike excited her enthusiasm ; 
 
EOSA BONHEUR. 269 
 
 she studied them all with, equal delight, and copied 
 them with equal felicity. To aid her father in his ar- 
 duous struggle for the support of his family, now in- 
 creased by the birth of two younger children, was the 
 immediate object of Eosa's ambition ; and, the admi- 
 rable fidelity of her copies insuring them a speedy sale, 
 this filial desire was soon gratified. She gained but a 
 small sum for each, but so great was her industry that 
 those earnings soon became an important item in the 
 family resources. 
 
 One day, when she had just put the finishing touch 
 to a copy of Les Bergers dSArcadie, at the Louvre, an 
 elderly English gentleman stopped beside her easel, 
 and, having examined her work with much attention, 
 exclaimed, " Your copy, mon enfant, is superb, fault- 
 less ! Persevere as you have begun, and I prophesy 
 that you will be a great artist !" The stranger's pre- 
 diction gave the young painter much pleasure, and 
 she went home that evening with her head full of joy- 
 ous visions of future success. 
 
 Eosa was now in her seventeenth year, vowed to 
 art as the aim and occupation of her life, cultivating 
 landscape, historical, and genre painting with equal 
 assiduity, but without any decided preference for eith- 
 er ; when, happening to make a study of a goat, she 
 was so much enchanted with this new attempt that 
 she thenceforth devoted herself to the cultivation of 
 the peculiar province in which she has commanded 
 such brilliant success. Too poor to procure models, 
 she went out daily into the country on foot, in search 
 of picturesque views and animals for sketching. "With 
 a bit of bread in her pocket, and laden with canvas 
 and colors, or a mass of clay for she was attracted 
 equally toward painting and sculpture, and has shown 
 
270 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 that she would have succeeded equally in either she 
 used to set out very early in the morning, and, having 
 found a site or a subject to her mind, seat herself on 
 a bank or under a tree, and work on till dusk ; com- 
 ing home at nightfall, after a tramp of ten or a dozen 
 miles, browned by sun and wind, soaked with rain, or 
 covered with mud ; exhausted with fatigue, but re- 
 joicing in the lessons the day had furnished. 
 
 Her inability to procure models at home also sug- 
 gested to her another expedient, the adoption of which 
 shows how earnest was her determination to overcome 
 the obstacles poverty had placed in the way of her 
 studies. The slaughtering and preparing of animals 
 for the Paris market is confined to a few abattoirs, 
 great establishments on the outskirts of the city, placed 
 under the supervision of the municipal authorities. 
 Each of these establishments contains extensive in- 
 closures, in which are penned thousands of lowing and 
 bleating victims, waiting their turn to be led to the 
 shambles. To one of these the abattoir du Roule 
 had Eosa the courage to go daily for many months, 
 surmounting alike the repugnance which such a local- 
 ity naturally inspired, and her equally natural hesita- 
 tion to place herself in contact with the crowd of 
 butchers and drovers who filled it. Seated on a bun- 
 dle of hay, with her colors beside her, she painted on 
 from morning till dusk, not unfrequently forgetting 
 the bit of bread in her pocket, so absorbed would she 
 become in the study of the varied types that rendered 
 the courts and stables of this establishment so invalu- 
 able a field of observation for her. Not content with 
 drawing the occupants of the abattoir in their pens, far 
 from the sickening horror of the shambles, she felt the 
 necessity of studying their attitudes under the terror 
 
ROSA BONHEUK. 271 
 
 and agony of the death-stroke, and compelled herself 
 to make repeated visits to the slaughter-house ; look- 
 ing on scenes whose repulsiveness was rendered doubly 
 painful to her by her affectionate sympathy with the 
 brute creation. In the evening, on her return home, 
 her hands, face, and clothes were usually spotted all 
 over by the flies, so numerous wherever animals are 
 congregated. Such was the respect with which she 
 inspired the rude companions by whom she was sur- 
 rounded, and who would often beg to see her sketches, 
 which they regarded with the most naive admiration, 
 that nothing ever occurred to annoy her in the slight- 
 est degree during her long sojourns in the crowded 
 precincts of the abattoir. 
 
 After she had ceased to visit this establishment, she 
 frequented in a similar manner the stables of the Vet- 
 erinary School of Alfort, and the animals and museums 
 of the Garden of Plants. She also resumed her sketch- 
 ing rambles in the country, and resorted diligently to 
 all the horse and cattle fairs held in the neighborhood 
 of Paris. On the latter occasions she invariably wore 
 male attire ; a precaution she found it necessary to 
 adopt, as a convenience, and still more, as a protection 
 against the annoyances that would have rendered it 
 impossible for her to mingle in such gatherings in 
 feminine costume. In her masculine habit Rosa had 
 so completely the look of a good-hearted, ingenuous 
 boy, that the graziers and horse-dealers, whose animals 
 she drew, would frequently insist on "standing treat" 
 in a clwpine of wine, or a petit verre of something 
 stronger, to the "clever little fellow" whose skillful 
 portrayal of their beasts had so much delighted them ; 
 and it sometimes required all her address and ingenu- 
 ity to escape from their well-meant persecutions. Her 
 
272 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 good looks, too, in the assumed character of a youth 
 of the sterner sex, would sometimes make sad havoc 
 in the susceptible hearts of village dairy-maids. Some 
 laughable incidents might be related under this head. 
 In her subsequent explorations of the romantic regions 
 at either foot of the Pyrenees, the passion with which 
 she has unwittingly inspired the black-eyed Phoebes 
 of the south has more than once proved a source of 
 serious though comical embarrassment to the artist, 
 desirous above all things to maintain impenetrably 
 the secret of her disguise. 
 
 The young artist's studies were not confined to the 
 exterior forms of her models. She procured the best 
 anatomical treatises and plates, with casts and models 
 of the different parts of the human frame, and studied 
 them thoroughly ; she then procured legs, shoulders, 
 and heads of animals from the butchers, carefully dis- 
 secting them, and thus obtaining an intimate knowl- 
 edge of the forms and dependencies of the muscles 
 whose play she had to delineate. 
 
 A / 
 
 Now that Eosa has arrived at the fame her swelling 
 child-heart prophesied to itself before she had ascer- 
 tained the path that should lead to the fulfillment of 
 her aspirations, the richest and noblest of her country- 
 men are proud to place at her disposal the finest prod- 
 ucts of their farms and studs ; while mules, donkej^s, 
 sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, and rare poultry are offered 
 to her from one end of Europe to the other. But it is 
 certain that the poverty and obscurity which, during 
 her first years of effort, compelled her to frequent dbat- 
 tofrs and cattle-markets in search of subjects for her 
 pencil were really of unspeakable service in forcing 
 her to make acquaintance with a multitude of types 
 under a variety of action and condition, such as she 
 
EOS A BONHEUK. 273 
 
 could never have seen in any other way, and in giv- 
 ing her a breadth of conception, variety of detail, and 
 truthfulness to nature, which a more limited range of 
 experience could not have supplied. 
 
 Through all her varied studies, Raymond Bonhe.ur 
 was his daughter's constant and only teacher. M. 
 Leon Cogniet, whose pupil she is erroneously said to 
 have been, merely took a friendly interest in her prog- 
 ress, and warmly encouraged her to persevere. She 
 never took a lesson of any other teacher than her fa- 
 ther and nature. 
 
 Bonheur, with his family, now occupied small six- 
 story rooms in the Rue Rumfort. His two sons had 
 also devoted themselves to art under his auspices, 
 Auguste being a painter, and Isidore a sculptor. The 
 loving family, merry and hopeful in spite of poverty, 
 labored diligently together in the same little studio. 
 From daylight till dusk Rosa was always at her easel, 
 singing like a linnet, the busiest and merriest of them 
 all. In the evening, the frugal dinner dispatched and 
 the lamp lighted, she would spend several hours in 
 drawing illustrations for books, and animals for prints 
 and for albums ; or in moulding little groups of oxen, 
 sheep, etc., for the figure-dealers thus earning an ad- 
 ditional contribution to the family purse. 
 
 Rosa delighted in birds, of which she had many in 
 the studio ; but it grieved her to see them confined. 
 To her great joy, one of her brothers contrived a net, 
 which he fastened to the outer side of the window, so 
 that they could be safely let out of their cages. She 
 had also a beautiful sheep, with long silky wool, the 
 most docile and intelligent of quadrupeds, which she 
 kept on the leads outside their windows, the leads 
 forming a terrace, converted by her into a garden, gay 
 M2 " 
 
274 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 with honeysuckles, cobeas, convolvulus, nasturtiums, 
 and sweet-peas. As the sheep could not descend six 
 flights of stairs, yet needed occasional exercise and 
 change of diet, Isidore used to place it gravely on his 
 shoulders, and carry it down to a neighboring croft, 
 where it browsed on the fresh grass to its heart's con- 
 tent, after which he would carry it back to its aerial 
 residence. Thus carefully tended, the animal passed 
 two years contentedly on the terrace, affording to Rosa 
 and her brothers an admirable model. 
 
 It was in the Fine Arts Exhibition of 1841 that 
 Rosa Bonheur made her first appearance before the 
 critical Areopagus of Paris, attracting the 'favorable 
 notice both of connoisseurs and public, by two charm- 
 ing little groups of a goat, sheep, and rabbits. The 
 following year she exhibited three paintings : " Ani- 
 mals in a Pasture," "A Cow lying in a Meadow," and 
 "A Horse for Sale," which attracted still more no- 
 tice, the first being specially remarkable for its exqui- 
 site rendering of the atmospheric effects of evening, 
 and its blending of poetic sentiment with bold fidelity 
 to fact. 
 
 From this period she appeared in all the Paris ex- 
 hibitions, and in many of those of the provincial towns, 
 her reputation rising every year, and several bronze 
 and silver medals being awarded to her productions. 
 In 1844 she exhibited, with her paintings, "A Bull" 
 in clay, one of the many proofs she has given of pow- 
 ers that would have raised her to a high rank as a 
 sculptor, had she not, at length, been definitively 
 drawn, by the combined attractions of form and color, 
 into the ranks of the painters. In the following year 
 she exhibited twelve paintings a splendid collection 
 flanked bv the works of her father and her brother 
 
ROSA BONHEUR. 275 
 
 Auguste, then admitted for the first time. In 1846 
 her productions were accompanied by those of her fa- 
 ther and both her brothers, the younger of whom then 
 first appeared as a sculptor. The family group was 
 completed in a subsequent exhibition by the admis- 
 sion of her younger sister, Julietta, who had returned 
 to Paris, and had also become an artist. In 1849 her 
 magnificent " Cantal Oxen" took the gold medal. Hor- 
 ace Vernet, president of the committee of awards, pro- 
 claimed the new laureat in presence of a brilliant 
 crowd of amateurs, presenting her with a superb Se- 
 vres vase in the name of the government ; the value 
 of a triumph which placed her ostensibly in the high- 
 est rank of her profession being immeasurably en- 
 hanced in her eyes by the unbounded delight it afford- 
 ed to her father. 
 
 Eaymond Bonheur, released from pecuniary diffi- 
 culty, and rejuvenated by the joy of his daughter's 
 success, had accepted the directorship of the govern- 
 ment school of design for girls, and resumed his pa- 
 lette with all the ardor of his younger days. But his 
 health had been undermined by the fatigues and anx- 
 ieties he had borne so long, and he died of heart dis- 
 ease in 1849, deeply regretted by his family. Eosa, 
 who had aided him in the school of design, was now 
 made its directress. She still holds the post, her sis- 
 ter, Madame Peyrol, being the resident professor, and 
 Eosa superintending the classes in a weekly lesson. 
 
 Her already brilliant reputation was still farther 
 enhanced by the appearance, in 1849, of her noble 
 " Plowing Scene in the Nivernais," ordered by the 
 government, and now in the Luxembourg Gallery; 
 of the " Horse-market," in 1853, the preparatory stud- 
 ies for which occupied her during eighteen months; 
 
276 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 and the " Hay-making," in 1855. The last two works 
 created great enthusiasm in the public mind. 
 
 More fortunate than many other great artists, whose 
 merits have been slowly acknowledged, Eosa Bonheur 
 has been a favorite with the public from her first ap- 
 pearance. Her vigorous originality, her perfect mas- 
 tery of the technicalities and mechanical details of her 
 art, and the charm of a style at once fresh and simple, 
 and profoundly and poetically true, ensured for her 
 productions a sympathetic appreciation and a rapid 
 sale. She had produced, up to June, 1858, thirty-five 
 paintings ; and many more, not exhibited, have been 
 purchased by private amateurs. In these the peculiar 
 aspect of crag, mountain, valley, and plain of trees 
 and herbage ; the effects of cloud, mist, and sunshine, 
 and of different hours of the day are as profoundly 
 and skillfully rendered as are the outer forms and in- 
 ner life of the animals around which the artist, like 
 nature, spreads the charm and glory of her landscapes. 
 She has already made a fortune, but has bestowed it 
 entirely on others, with the exception of a little farm 
 a few miles from Paris, where she spends a great deal 
 of her time. Such is her habitual generosity, and so 
 scrupulous is her delicacy in all matters connected 
 with her art, that it may be doubted whether she will 
 ever amass any great wealth for herself. Her port- 
 folios contain nearly a thousand sketches, eagerly 
 coveted by amateurs ; but she regards these as a part 
 of her artistic life, and refuses to part with them on 
 any terms. A little drawing that accidentally found 
 its way into the hands of a dealer, a short time since, 
 brought eighty pounds in London. Rosa had present- 
 ed it to a charity, as she now and then does with her 
 drawings. Demands for paintings reach her from ev- 
 
EOSA BONHEUE. 277 
 
 ery part of the world ; but she refuses all orders not 
 congenial to her talent, valuing her own probity and 
 dignity above all price. 
 
 The award of the jury in 1853 in virtue of which 
 the authoress of " The Horse-market" was enrolled 
 among the recognized masters of the brush, and as 
 such exempted from the necessity of submitting her 
 works to the examining committee previous to their 
 admission to future exhibitions entitled her, accord- 
 ing to French usage, to the cross of the Legion of 
 Honor. This decoration was refused to the artist by 
 the emperor because she was a woman I 
 
 The refusal, repeated after her brilliant success of 
 1855, naturally excited the indignation of her ad- 
 mirers, who could not understand why an honor that 
 would be accorded to a certain talent in a man should 
 be refused to the same in a woman. But, though 
 Eosa was included in the invitation to the state din- 
 ner at the Tuileries, always given to the artists to 
 whom the Academy of Fine Arts has awarded its 
 highest honor, the refusal of the decoration was main- 
 tained, notwithstanding numerous efforts made to ob- 
 tain a reversal of the imperial decree. 
 
 A visitor describes the studio of this world-renown- 
 ed artist. At the southern end of the Eue d' Assas 
 a retired street, half made up of extensive gardens, the 
 tops of trees alone visible above the high stone walls 
 just where, meeting the Eue de Yaugirard, it widens 
 into an irregular little square, surrounded by sleepy- 
 looking, old-fashioned houses, and looked down upon 
 by the shining gray roofs and belfry of an ancient 
 Carmelite convent is a green garden-door, surmount- 
 ed by the number " 32." A ring will be answered 
 by the barkings of one or two dogs ; and when the 
 
278 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 door is opened by the sober-suited serving-man, the 
 visitor finds himself in a garden full of embowering 
 trees. The house, a long, cozy, irregular building, 
 standing at right angles with the street, is covered 
 with vines, honeysuckles, and clematis. A part of 
 the garden is laid out in flower-beds ; but the larger 
 portion fenced off with a green paling, graveled, and 
 containing several sheds is given up to the animals 
 kept by the artist as her models. There may be seen 
 a horse, a donkey, four or five goats, sheep of differ- 
 ent breeds, ducks, cochinchinas, and other denizens of 
 the barn-yard, all living together in perfect amity and 
 good-will. 
 
 On fine days the artist may be found seated on a 
 rustic chair inside the paling, busily sketching one of 
 these animals, a wide-awake or sun-bonnet on her 
 head. If the visitor comes on a Friday afternoon, the 
 time set apart for Eosa's receptions, he is ushered 
 through glass doors into a hall, where the walls are 
 covered with paintings, orange-trees and oleanders 
 standing in green tubs in the corners, and the floor 
 (since the artist crossed the Channel!) covered with 
 English oil-cloth. From this hall a few stairs, covered 
 with thick gray drugget, lead to the atelier, on Fridays 
 turned into the reception-room. 
 
 This beautiful studio, one of the largest and most 
 finely proportioned in Paris, with its greenish-gray 
 walls, and plain green curtains to lofty windows that 
 never let in daylight the room being lighted entire- 
 ly from the ceiling has all its wood-work of dark 
 oak, as are the book-case, tables, chairs, and other ar- 
 ticles of furniture richly carved, but otherwise of 
 severe simplicity distributed about the room. The 
 walls are covered with paintings, sketches, casts, old 
 
ROSA BONHEUR. 279 
 
 armor, fishing-nets, rude baskets and pouches, poles, 
 gnarled and twisted vine-branches, picturesque hats, 
 cloaks, and sandals, collected by the artist in her wan- 
 derings among the peasants of various regions ; non- 
 descript draperies, bones and skins of animals, antlers 
 and horns. The fine old book-case contains as many 
 casts, skeletons, and curiosities as books, and is sur- 
 rounded with as many busts, groups in plaster, shields, 
 and other artistic booty, as its top can accommodate ; 
 and the great Gothic-looking stove at the upper end 
 of the room is covered in the same way with little 
 casts and bronzes. Paintings of all sizes, and in every 
 stage of progress, are seen on easels at the lower end 
 of the room, the artist always working at several at a 
 time. Stands of port-folios and stacks of canvas line 
 the sides of the studio ; birds are chirping in cages of 
 various dimensions, and a magnificent parrot eyes you 
 suspiciously from the top of a lofty perch. Scattered 
 over a floor as bright as waxing can make it, are skins 
 of tigers, oxen, leopards, and foxes the only species 
 of floor-covering admitted by the artist into her work- 
 room. " They give me ideas," she says of these fa- 
 vorite appurtenances ; " whereas the most costly and 
 luxurious carpet is suggestive of nothing." 
 
 But the suggestion of picturesque associations is not 
 the only service rendered by these spoils of the animal 
 kingdom. One sultry Friday afternoon, one of her 
 admirers, going earlier than her usual reception hour, 
 found her lying fast asleep under the long table at the 
 upper end of the studio, on her favorite skin, that of 
 a magnificent ox, with stuffed head and spreading 
 horns ; her head resting lovingly on that of the ani- 
 mal. She had come in very tired from her weekly 
 review of the classes at the School of Design, and had 
 
280 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 thrown herself down on the skin, under the shade of 
 the table, to rest a few moments. There was so much 
 natural grace and simplicity in her attitude, such in- 
 nocence and peacefulness in her whole aspect, and so 
 much of the startled child in her expression, as, roused 
 by the opening and shutting of the door, she awoke 
 and started to her feet, that the picture seemed as beau- 
 tiful as any created by the pencil. 
 
 Here Eosa Bonheur receives her guests with the 
 frankness, kindness, and unaffected simplicity for which 
 she is so eminently distinguished. In person she is 
 small, a"nd rather under the middle height, with a fine- 
 ly-formed head, and broad rather than high forehead ; 
 small, well-defined, regular features, and good teeth ; 
 hazel eyes, very clear and bright ; dark-brown hair, 
 slightly wavy, parted on one side and cut short in the 
 neck ; a compact, shapely figure ; hands small and del- 
 icate, and extremely pretty little feet. She dresses 
 very plainly, the only colors worn by her being black, 
 brown, and gray ; and her costume consists invariably 
 of a close-fitting jacket and skirt of simple materials. 
 On the rare occasions when she goes into company 
 for she accepts very few of the invitations with which 
 she is assailed she appears in the same simple cos- 
 tume, of richer materials, with the addition merely of 
 a lace collar. She wears none of the usual articles of 
 feminine adornment ; they are not in accordance with 
 her thoughts and occupations. At work she wears a 
 round pinafore or blouse of gray linen that envelops 
 her from the neck to the feet. She impresses one at 
 first sight with the idea of a clear, honest, vigorous, 
 independent nature ; abrupt, yet kindly ; original, self- 
 centred, and decided, without the least pretension or 
 conceit ; but it is only when you have seen her con- 
 
KOSA BONHEUR. 281 
 
 versing earnestly and heartily, her enthusiasm roused 
 by some topic connected with her art, or with the 
 great humanitary questions of the day ; when you have 
 watched her kindling eyes, her smile at once so sweet, 
 so beaming, and so keen, her expressive features ir- 
 radiated, as it were, with an inner light, that you per- 
 ceive how very beautiful she really is. To know how 
 upright and how truthful she is, how single-minded in 
 her devotion to her art, how simple and unassuming, 
 fully conscious of the dignity of her artistic power, but 
 respecting it rather as a talent committed to her keep- 
 ing than as a quality personal to herself, you must 
 have been admitted to something more than the ordi- 
 nary courtesy of a reception-day. "While, if you would 
 know how noble and how self-sacrificing she has been, 
 not only to every member of her own family, but to 
 others possessing no claim on her kindness but such 
 as that kindness gave them, you must learn it from 
 those who have shared her bounty, for you will never 
 know a word of it from herself. 
 
 Her dislike to being written about will prevent 
 many interesting particulars in regard to her from be- 
 coming known ; but, if they ever come to light, they 
 will show her life replete with noble teachings, and 
 that the great painter whose fame will go down to 
 coming ages was as admirable a woman as she was 
 gifted as an artist ; that her moral worth was no less 
 transcendent than her genius. 
 
 Kosa Bonheur is an indefatigable wt>rker. She 
 rises at six, and paints until dusk, when she lays aside 
 her blouse, puts on a bonnet and shawl of most un- 
 fashionable appearance, and takes a turn through the 
 neighboring streets alone, or accompanied only by a 
 favorite dog. Absorbed in her own thoughts, and 
 
282 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 unconscious of every thing around her, the first con- 
 ception of a picture is often struck out by her in these 
 rapid, solitary walks in the twilight. 
 
 Living solely for her art, she has gladly resigned 
 the cares of her outward existence to an old and de- 
 voted friend, Madame Micas, a widow lady, who, with 
 her daughter, resides with her. Mademoiselle Micas 
 is an artist, and her beautiful groups of birds are well 
 known in England. She has been for many years 
 Eosa's most intimate companion. Every summer the 
 two artists repair to some mountain district to sketch. 
 Arrived at the regions inhabited only by the chamois, 
 they exchange their feminine habiliments for mascu- 
 line attire, and spend a couple of months in exploring 
 the wildest recesses of the hills, courting the acquaint- 
 ance of their shy and swifl-footed tenants, and harvest- 
 ing "effects" of storm, rain, and vapor as assiduously 
 as those of sunshine. Though Eosa is alive to the 
 beauties of wood and meadow, mountain scenery is 
 her especial delight. Having explored the French 
 chains and the Pyrenees, in the autumn of 1856 she 
 visited Scotland, and made numerous sketches in the 
 neighborhood of Glenfallock, Grlencoe, and Ballaculish. 
 Struck by the beauty of the Highland cattle, she se- 
 lected some choice specimens of these, which she had 
 sent down to Wexham Eectory, near Windsor, where 
 she resided, and spent two months in making numer- 
 ous studies, from which she produced two pictures: 
 " The Denizens of the Mountains" and " Morning in 
 the Highlands." Her preference for the stern, the 
 abrupt, and the majestic over the soft, the smiling, 
 and the fair, makes Italy, with all its glories, less at- 
 tractive to her than the ruder magnificence of the Pyr- 
 enees and the north. 
 
EOSA BONHEUR. 283 
 
 Among mountains the great artist is completely in 
 her element; out of doors from morning till night, 
 lodging in the humblest and remotest of road-side ho- 
 tels, or in the huts of wood-cutters, charcoal-burners, 
 and chamois-hunters, and living contentedly on what- 
 ever fare can be obtained. In 1856, being furnished 
 by families of distinction in the Bearnais and the 
 Basque provinces with introductions, her party push- 
 ed their adventurous wanderings to the little station 
 of Peyronere, the last inhabited point within the 
 French frontier, and thence up the romantic defiles 
 of the Yallee d'Urdos, across the summit of the Pyre- 
 nees. Their letters procured them a hospitable recep- 
 tion at each halting-place, with a trusty guide for the 
 next march. In this way they crossed the mountains, 
 and gained the lonely posada of Canfan, the first on 
 the Spanish side of the ridge, where, for six weeks, 
 they saw no one but the muleteers with their strings 
 of mules, who would halt for the night at the little 
 inn, setting out at the earliest dawn for their descent 
 of the mountains. 
 
 The people of the posada lived entirely on curdled 
 sheep's milk, the sole article of food the party could 
 obtain on their arrival. At one time, by an early fall 
 of snow, they were shut out from all communication 
 with the valley. Their threatened starvation was 
 averted by the exertions of Mademoiselle Micas, who 
 managed to procure a quantity of frogs, the hind legs 
 of which she enveloped in leaves, and toasted on sticks 
 over a fire on the hearth. On these frogs they lived 
 for two days, when the hostess was induced to attempt 
 the making of butter from the milk of her sheep, and 
 even to allow the conversion of one of these animals 
 into mutton for their benefit. Their larder thus sup- 
 
284 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 plied, and black bread being brought for them by the 
 muleteers from a village a long way off, they gave 
 themselves up to the pleasures of their wild life and 
 the business of sketching. The arrival of the mule- 
 teers, in their embroidered shirts, pointed hats, velvet 
 jackets, leathern breeches, and sandals, was always a 
 welcome event. Kosa paid for wine for them, and 
 they, in return, performed their national dances for 
 her, after which they would throw themselves down 
 for the night upon sheepskins before the fire, furnish- 
 ing subjects for many picturesque croquis. As the 
 posada was a police-station, established there as a ter- 
 ror to smugglers, the little party felt perfectly safe, 
 notwithstanding its loneliness. 
 
 Eosa was much pleased with her Scotch tour. She 
 brought away a wonderful little Skye terrier, named 
 " Wasp," of the purest breed, and remarkably intelli- 
 gent, which she holds in great affection. She has 
 learned for its benefit several English phrases, to which 
 " Wasp" responds with appreciative waggings of the 
 tail. 
 
 Eosa Bonheur has avowed her determination never 
 to marry. Determined to devote her life to her favor- 
 ite art, she may be expected to produce a long line of 
 noble works that will worthily maintain her present 
 reputation ; while the virtues and excellences of her 
 private character will win for her an ever-widening 
 circle of admiration and respect. 
 
AMEKICAN FEMALE AETISTS. 
 
 HAP 3R XYIH. 
 
 THE NINETEENTH CENTUEY. 
 
 The Practice of Art in America. Number of women Artists in- 
 creasing. Prospect flattering. Imperfection of Sketches of living 
 Artists. Rosalba Torrens. Miss Murray. Mrs. Lupton. Miss 
 Denning. Miss O'Hara. Mrs. Darley. Mrs. Goodrich. Miss 
 Foley. Miss Mackintosh and others. Mrs. Ball Hughes. Mrs. 
 Chapin. Sketch of Mrs. Duncan. The Peale Family. Anec- 
 dote of General Washington. Mrs. Washington's Punctuality. 
 Miss Peale an Artist in Philadelphia. Paints Miniatures. Copies 
 Pictures from great Artists. She and her Sister honorary Mem- 
 bers of the Academy. Her prosperous Career. Paints with her 
 Sister in Baltimore and Washington. Marriage and Widowhood. 
 Return to Philadelphia. Second Marriage. Happy Home. 
 Mrs. Yeates. Miss Sarah M. Peale. Success. Removal to St. 
 Louis. Miss Rosalba Peale. Miss Ann Leslie. Early Taste in 
 Painting. Visits to London. Copies Pictures. Miss Sarah Cole. 
 Mrs. Wilson. Intense Love of Art. Her Sculptures. Her 
 impromptu Modeling of Emerson's Head. Mrs. Cornelius Dubois. 
 Her Taste for the Sculptor's Art. Groups by her. Studies in 
 Italy. Her Cameos. Her Kindness to Artists. Miss Anne Hall. 
 Early Love of Painting. Lessons. Copies old Paintings in 
 Miniature. Her original Pictures. Her Merits of the highest Or- 
 der. Groups in Miniature. Dunlap's Praise. Her Productions 
 numerous. Mary S. Legare. Her Ancestry. Mrs. Legare. 
 Early Fondness for Art shown by the Daughter. Her Studies. 
 Little Beauty in the Scenery familiar to her. Colonel Cogdell's 
 Sympathy with her. Success in Copying. Visit to the Blue Ridge. 
 Grand Views. Paintings of mountain Scenery. Removal to 
 Iowa. "Legare College." Her Erudition and Energy. Her Mar- 
 riage. Herminie Dassel. Reverse of Fortune. Painting for a 
 Living. Visit to Vienna and Italy. Removal to America. Suc- 
 cess and Marriage. Her social Virtues and Charity. Miss Jane 
 Stuart. Mrs. Hildreth. Mrs. Davis. Mrs. Badger's Book of Flow- 
 ers. Mrs. Hawthorne. Mrs. Hill. Mrs. Greatorex. Mrs. Wood- 
 man. Miss Gove. Miss May. Miss Granbury. Miss Oakley. 
 
 IN America the practice of art by woman is but in 
 
286 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 its commencement. Although many names of female 
 artists are now familiar to the public, and the number 
 is rapidly increasing, few have had time to accomplish 
 all for which they may possess the ability. The pros- 
 pect, however, is one most flattering to our national 
 pride. 
 
 The sketches of living American women who are 
 pursuing art are chiefly prepared from materials fur- 
 nished by their friends. They are given in simplicity, 
 and may appear imperfect, but we hope indulgence 
 may be extended to them where they are inadequate 
 to do justice to the subject. 
 
 Rosalba Torrens is mentioned by Ramsay, in his 
 History of South Carolina, as a meritorious landscape- 
 painter. Praise is also bestowed on Eliza Torrens, 
 afterward Mrs. Cochran. Miss Mary Murray painted 
 in crayons and water-colors in New York, and pro- 
 duced many life-sized portraits, which gained her ce- 
 lebrity. Madame Planteau painted in Washington 
 about 1820, and was highly esteemed. 
 
 Dunlap mentions Mrs. Lupton as a modeler. She 
 presented a bust of Governor Throop to the National 
 Academy of Design in New York, of which she was 
 an honorary member. Many of her paintings elicited 
 high commendation. She executed many busts in 
 clay, of her friends. There was hardly a branch of 
 delicate workmanship in which she did not excel, and 
 her literary attainments were varied and extensive. 
 She was an excellent French scholar, and a proficient 
 in Latin, Italian, and Spanish, besides having mastered 
 the Hebrew sufficiently to read the Old Testament 
 with ease. In English literature she was thoroughly 
 versed, and was an advanced student in botany and 
 natural history. 
 
AMERICAN FEMALE ARTISTS. 287 
 
 She was the daughter of Dr. Platt Townsend, and 
 was married early in life. Mr. Lupton, a gentleman 
 of high professional and literary attainments, resided 
 in the city of New York. After his death his widow 
 devoted herself to study, that she might be qualified 
 to educate her young daughter, and, after the loss of 
 this only child, pursued knowledge as a solace for her 
 sorrows. Her talents and accomplishments, her ele- 
 vated virtues and charities, and her attractive social 
 qualities drew around her a circle of warm and admir- 
 ing friends. She lived a short tune in Canada, and 
 died at the house of a relative on Long Island. 
 
 Miss Charlotte Denning, of Plattsburgh, is spoken 
 of as a clever miniature-painter, and also Miss O'Hara, 
 in New York. Miss Jane Sully (Mrs. Darley), the 
 daughter of the celebrated artist, is mentioned as an 
 artist of merit. Mrs. Goodrich, of Boston, painted an 
 excellent portrait of Gilbert Stuart, which was en- 
 graved by Durand for the National Portrait Gallery. 
 Her miniatures have great merit, and are marked by 
 truth and expression. 
 
 Margaret Foley was a member of the New England 
 School of Design, and gave instruction in drawing and 
 painting. She resided in Lowell, and was frequently 
 applied to for her cameos, which she cut beautifully. 
 Miss Sarah Mackintosh was accustomed to draw on 
 stone for a large glass company, and other ladies de- 
 signed in the carpet factory at Lowell and in the Mer- 
 rimack print-works, showing the ability of women to 
 engage in such occupations. 
 
 Several have made a livelihood by the business of 
 engraving on wood, and drawing for different works. 
 
 Mrs. Ball Hughes, of Boston, the wife of the sculp- 
 tor, supported her family by painting and by giving 
 
288 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 lessons in the art. Mrs. Chapin had a large drawing 
 school in Providence, and, with facility in every style, 
 is said to be admirable in crayons. Many others 
 might be mentioned, but it does not comport with the 
 design of this work to record even the names of all 
 who deserve the tribute of praise. 
 
 ANNA C. PEALE (MKS f DUNCAN). 
 
 Several ladies of the Peale family have been distin- 
 guished as artists, and are mentioned in the histories 
 of painting in America. The parents of the subject 
 of this sketch were Captain James Peale and Mary 
 Claypoole. Her maternal ancestors, the Claypooles, 
 came to this country with William Penn, and were 
 among the earliest settlers in Philadelphia. They 
 claimed direct descent from Oliver Cromwell, whose 
 daughter Elizabeth married Sir John Claypoole. 
 
 James Peale had great celebrity as a painter, and ex- 
 celled both in miniatures .and oil portraits. He was not 
 only remarkable for success in his likenesses, but had 
 the faculty of making them handsome withal, so that 
 he was called among his acquaintances "the flattering 
 artist." This pleasing effect he gave, not by altering 
 the features, but by happy touches of expression ; and 
 it was one secret of his eminent success. He painted, 
 from actual sittings, several portraits of General "Wash- 
 ington and Mrs. Washington. One, a miniature, is 
 now in the possession of his eldest daughter. 
 
 On one occasion, when Washington was sitting for 
 his portrait in Mr. Peale's painting-room, he looked at 
 his watch, and said, 
 
 " Mr. Peale, my time for sitting has expired ; but, if 
 three minutes longer will be of any importance to 
 you, I will remain, and make up the time by hasten- 
 
ANNA C. PEALE. 289 
 
 ing my walk up to the State House (where Congress 
 was in session). I know exactly how long it will 
 take me to walk there ; ancl it will not do for me, as 
 President, to be absent at the hour of meeting." 
 
 Mrs. Washington was as remarkable for punctuality 
 as her illustrious husband. At one time, during the 
 general's absence, he wrote to her to get Mr. James 
 Peale to paint her portrait in miniature, and to send 
 it to him. Mrs. Washington wrote a note to the 
 artist, saying that her presence at home was indis- 
 pensable when the general was away, and it would 
 not be convenient for her to attend at his painting- 
 room. She requested him, therefore, to come to her 
 house for the sittings, and offered to accommodate her- 
 self to any hour when it would suit him to be away 
 from his studio. In his reply Mr. Peale appointed 
 seven o'clock in the morning. When he left his home 
 to keep the engagement for the first sitting, it occurred 
 to him that the lady might not be quite ready to see 
 him at so early an hour. He walked on, accordingly, 
 more slowly than usual. Mrs. Washington met him 
 with the observation, " Mr. Peale, I have been in the 
 kitchen to give my orders for the day ; have read the 
 newspaper, and heard my niece her lesson on the 
 harp ; yet have waited for you twenty minutes." 
 
 The gentleman, of course, felt exceedingly morti- 
 fied, and remarked that if his engagement had been 
 with General Washington he should have felt the im- 
 portance of being punctual to the minute ; but he 
 thought it necessary to allow a lady a little more time. 
 
 " Sir," replied Mrs. Washington, " I am as punctual 
 as the general." It may be imagined that Mr. Peale 
 took care to be at the house the next day at the time 
 appointed. 
 
 N 
 
290 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 Dunlap, in his sketch, of the artist, mentions his son 
 and two daughters as having adopted their father's 
 profession. There were three daughters who did thus, 
 out of five who showed talent for art, viz., Anna, 
 Sarah, and Margaretta. The son, James Peale, show- 
 ed, from early youth, a remarkable talent for land- 
 scape-painting. His sketches from nature were ad- 
 mirable. For many years, though not a professional 
 artist, he contributed an exquisite picture to every 
 opening of the annual exhibition of the Academy of 
 the Fine Arts, in Philadelphia. 
 
 Anna was born in Philadelphia, and from child- 
 hood showed extraordinary talent for art. When 
 about fourteen years of age, she copied in oil-colors 
 two paintings by Yernet; and these, sent to public 
 auction, brought her thirty dollars, then esteemed a 
 good price for first efforts. Stimulated by this reward 
 of her labor, she resolved to persevere, and in time 
 became able to command an independence. Her 
 father had a large family to support by his profession 
 of portrait and miniature painting, and his daughter 
 looked forward with pleasure to the thought of being 
 a help instead of a burden to him. It was not, how- 
 ever, until two years after that she was able seriously 
 to apply herself to the art. One other attempt only 
 she made in oil-colors; a small fruit-piece, from na- 
 ture. Her father thought miniature-painting on ivory 
 the most suitable employment for a lady, and urged 
 her to make a trial of her powers in that branch. She 
 had learned much by standing behind his chair, hours 
 and hours at a time, and watching his progress. He 
 took great pains in teaching her, pointing out the pe- 
 culiar touches that produced his best effects, by giving 
 a charm to the expression. 
 
ANNA C. PEALE. 291 
 
 Not only was Miss Peale assiduous in the study of 
 her father's exquisite miniatures, but she copied sev- 
 eral executed by distinguished artists in that line. 
 One, from a painting by the celebrated Duchesne, a 
 portrait of Napoleon, was sold to a gentleman in Phil- 
 adelphia for one hundred and fifty dollars. Her am- 
 bition to attain to excellence, now fairly kindled, 
 nerved her to industry and enterprise. She painted 
 a miniature of Washington from a portrait, which was 
 purchased of her father by one of his friends and 
 brother officers of the Kevolution, Colonel Allen 
 M'Clain. The first miniature portraits from life 
 which she undertook were those of Dr. Spencer H. 
 Cone and his venerable mother. These, with one or 
 two others, were presented at the annual exhibition 
 of the Academy of the Fine Arts. She and her sis- 
 ter, Miss Sarah M. Peale, were elected honorary mem- 
 bers of this institution. This sister had adopted por- 
 trait-painting in oil as her profession. 
 
 The artistic career thus commenced went 011 most 
 prosperously. Although she owed nothing to any 
 public notice of her talents, Miss Anna Peale soon 
 found abundant occupation in painting miniature like- 
 nesses. Her health, however, suffered under her in- 
 cessant labors, and she was compelled to put a higher 
 price on her work in order to reduce the number -of 
 applications. She was so frequently solicited to paint 
 the likenesses of children, and found them such troub- 
 lesome subjects, that she charged double price for 
 them. 
 
 From the commencement of Miss Peale's painting 
 to her sister's entrance on the arena as a portrait-paint- 
 er, for some years, it is believed, she was the only pro- 
 fessional lady artist in Philadelphia. The sisters, after 
 
292 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 having commenced their labors, passed their time al- 
 ternately in Philadelphia and Baltimore ; in the latter 
 city receiving unbounded attention and encourage- 
 ment from families of the highest respectability. They 
 were not only well received as artists, but were wel- 
 comed as friends and hospitably entertained. They 
 were much caressed by the family of the venerable 
 Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Miss Sarah painted in 
 oil a portrait of his daughter, Mrs. Caten. 
 
 The sisters afterward went to Washington to paint 
 the portrait of General La Fayette, who sat for it at 
 their request. Anna spent the winter of 1819 in the 
 Federal city with her uncle, Charles M. Peale, who 
 went there for the purpose of painting the portraits 
 of many distinguished members of Congress. They 
 worked in the same studio. General Jackson was one 
 of their sitters. Miss Peale retained his portrait, and 
 has it still in her possession. President Monroe also 
 had his likeness taken, and the artists were often hos- 
 pitably entertained at the " White House" by the Pres- 
 ident and his amiable wife. During the time of her 
 stay in Washington, Miss Peale had her time filled up 
 with commissions ; she painted several of the members 
 of Congress, among whom were Henry Clay and Col- 
 onel E. M. Johnson. 
 
 In the following year Miss Peale again visited 
 Washington. She painted a miniature likeness of 
 that remarkable character, John Randolph of Roanoke. 
 It is now in her possession. So incessant was her ap- 
 plication to work, that during the summer she was 
 obliged to travel for the recovery of her health, and 
 to give rest to her eyes. Several times they were at- 
 tacked with inflammation, and at one time she had 
 cause to dread the total loss of sight. Some time aft- 
 
ANNA C. PEALE. 293 
 
 er tliis period she visited Boston, where she painted 
 several portraits. Daniel Webster sat twice for a min- 
 iature, which she never quite finished. 
 
 In 1829 Miss Peale received the addresses of Eev. 
 Dr. William Staughton, a Baptist clergyman of much 
 learning and distinction. He was about that time 
 elected president of the Theological College at George- 
 town, Kentucky. They were married August 27th, 
 1829, and left Philadelphia for the scene of the hus- 
 band's future labors. While they were in the city of 
 Washington, Dr. Staughton was taken ill. He died 
 early in December, in a little more than three months 
 after the marriage. The widow returned to Philadel- 
 phia the following spring. She resumed her profes- 
 sion, and painted with as great success as before. 
 
 Her second marriage, with General William Dun- 
 can, a gentleman highly esteemed in social life, may be 
 said to have closed her career as an artist, though her 
 love for art can never be lost. In her happy home, 
 surrounded by accomplished relatives, and beloved by 
 a large circle of friends, she looks back with pride to 
 the days when she toiled to woo the Muse of Painting, 
 and still acknowledges the truthful remark of the Ger- 
 man poet : 
 
 " He who can not apprehend the Beautiful has no 
 heart for the Good." 
 
 The only person to whom Mrs. Duncan ever gave 
 lessons in miniature-painting was her niece, Mary 
 Jane Simes, now the wife of Dr. John Yeates, of 
 Baltimore. This lady is an artist of no small celeb- 
 rity. 
 
 Miss Sarah M. Peale excelled not only in oil por- 
 traits but in still-life pieces. She has resided for the 
 last ten years in St. Louis, whither she was induced to 
 
294 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 go by the invitation of numerous friends. She found 
 there such encouragement and success, with such warm 
 regard from her friends, that she "has not as yet found 
 leisure to leave her engrossing pursuits for a visit to 
 her native city. Her varied talents and amiable char- 
 acter are justly appreciated, and she has gathered 
 around her a large and estimable circle. She possess- 
 es a fine talent for music in addition to her other ac- 
 complishments. 
 
 Mrs. Eembrandt Peale is highly spoken of as a 
 painter in oil-colors. 
 
 Miss Rosalba Peale is an amateur artist, and is said 
 to have been the first lady member of any Academy 
 of Art in America. 
 
 ANN LESLIE. 
 
 The name of Leslie has been placed by a painter of 
 eminent merit among the most distinguished of this 
 century, and his sister has contributed to its fame. 
 She was born in Philadelphia; her parents, Kobert 
 Leslie and Lydia Baker, went to London in 1793, 
 when she was an infant, and returned in 1799. She 
 showed a taste for painting in childhood, but did not 
 take it up as a regular employment till 1822, at which 
 time she was again in London, on a visit to her brother. 
 She copied several of his pictures, and two or three by 
 Sir Joshua Eeynolds, besides painting portraits of her 
 friends. She returned in 1825 to Philadelphia, with 
 her sister, Mrs. Henry Carey, and her brother-in-law, 
 but paid another visit to London four years afterward. 
 Several copies she made from pictures were engraved 
 for the Atlantic Souvenir. One of " Sancho and the 
 Duchess" was pronounced equal to the original in ex- 
 ecution. Her skill was great in imitating coloring, 
 
MRS. WILSON. 295 
 
 but she was accustomed to make the outlines me- 
 chanically. 
 
 Her life was passed in cheerful and contented activ- 
 ity. She resided several years in New York, where 
 she occupied herself chiefly in copying paintings. She 
 died in the summer of 1857. 
 
 Miss Sarah Cole, the sister of the celebrated artist, 
 had a great deal of talent, and not only copied paint- 
 ings, but produced original compositions. She was 
 born in England, but spent most of her life in the 
 United States. She died in 1858. 
 
 MRS. WILSON. 
 
 Mrs. Lee mentions Mrs. Wilson of Cincinnati as 
 having displayed much original talent in sculpture. 
 The following account is from a friend's letter : 
 
 " She is the wife of a physician of Cincinnati, and 
 was born, I believe, in or near Cooperstown, New 
 York. Her first impressions of persons and things 
 are expressed in her conversation. She is a perfect 
 child of nature, impulsive, but wonderfully perceptive, 
 and with so much freshness that all persons of mind 
 are attracted to her. Her infancy and youth were very 
 much shadowed by domestic sufferings, originating, at 
 first, in the loss of a large property by her father, who 
 in consequence removed to the West. He died when 
 she was quite young. She married Dr. Wilson, a most 
 excellent person, of Quaker family. All circumstances 
 were such, that an early revelation or development was 
 not made of her artistic powers. In visiting a sculptor's 
 studio the desire first awoke ; an intelligent friend en- 
 couraged and sympathized with her, and Mrs. Wilson 
 procured the materials. Her feeling was so intense 
 that it could not be repressed. Her husband was her 
 
296 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 first subject. She worked with so much energy that 
 sometimes she would faint away, and on one of these 
 occasions he said, ' If you are not more moderate, I 
 will throw that thing out of the window.' But it 
 was finished, proving a perfect likeness, and she chis- 
 eled it in stone. It is in her parlor at Cincinnati, 
 a most beautiful bust, and an admirable likeness, and 
 seems like a miracle, considering it was her first at- 
 tempt. 
 
 " Another marvelous work is the figure of her son. 
 He threw himself on the floor one morning in an at- 
 titude at once striking and picturesque. To copy it 
 required a perfectly correct eye, or a knowledge of 
 anatomy. She courageously attempted it; the atti- 
 tude was repeated, and her success was triumphant. 
 It is only a cast, and the cast does not do justice to 
 the finish of her work, but she has not been able to 
 procure a block of marble for the copy. The effect is 
 wonderful for its spirit and the accuracy of its anat- 
 omy. She has commenced other subjects, but some 
 of them are not finished, and to others accidents have 
 happened. 
 
 "She has a family of children, and is a devoted 
 mother. We think stone will have but little chance 
 with those beings of flesh and blood whose minds and 
 hearts she is carefully modeling. Perhaps family cares 
 may be the true secret why female sculptors are so 
 rare ; but we congratulate this lady that she has the 
 true perception of the beautiful, and feel quite sure it 
 will mitigate the suffering from delicate health, and 
 scatter fragrant flowers and healing herbs in the some- 
 times rugged paths of duty." 
 
 A gentleman acquainted with Mrs. "Wilson men- 
 tioned an incident that occurred on a journey to the 
 
MRS. DUBOIS. 297 
 
 Mammoth Cave of Kentucky. Struck with the as- 
 pect of a distinguished person in the company Mr. 
 Emerson the sculptress gave directions to stop near 
 a bank of soft red clay, and, putting out one hand to 
 grasp a sufficient portion of the material, with the 
 other she signed to her subject to remain motionless. 
 In a few moments she had modeled a very creditable 
 likeness of the author. 
 
 MRS. DUBOIS. 
 
 Mrs. Cornelius Dubois, now residing in New York, 
 and devoted to the charitable institution of the Nurs- 
 ery and Child's Hospital, has shown much talent for 
 sculpture and cameo-cutting. Mrs. Lee describes her 
 as having discovered, accidentally, about 1842, a taste 
 for modeling, in the following manner: "Her father 
 had his bust taken. Before the casting, he asked his 
 daughter her opinion of it as a likeness. She pointed 
 out some defects which the artist corrected in her 
 presence, upon which she exclaimed, 'I could do 
 that!' and requested the sculptor to give her some 
 clay, from which she modeled, with but little labor, a 
 bust of her husband, and was eminently successful in 
 the likeness. She then decided to take lessons, but 
 illness having interfered with her plans, she abandoned 
 the intention, and worked on by herself, with merely 
 the instruction from the sculptor to keep her clay 
 moist until her work was completed. 
 
 "When she recovered her health sufficiently, she 
 continued to mould, and, among other works, produced 
 the likenesses of two of her little children, the group 
 of Cupid and Psyche, a copy ; and a novice, an orig- 
 inal piece. She also carved a head of the Madonna 
 in marble ; a laborious and exciting work, which in- 
 N" 2 
 
298 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 jured her health to such a degree that her physician 
 interdicted her devotion to the arts. 
 
 " She then went to Italy, where she desired the first 
 artist in cameos to give her lessons. When he saw 
 some that she had cut, he told her that he could teach 
 her nothing ; she had only to study the antiques. 
 
 "Her works in cameos are 'St. Agnes and her 
 Lamb,' ' Alcibiades,' 'Guide's Angel,' 'Baphael's 
 Hope,' and the ' Apollo.' She took over thirty like- 
 nesses in cameo, requiring only an hour's sitting, after 
 which they were completed. 
 
 "Notwithstanding the care of a large family, the 
 superintendence of the education of her daughters, and 
 the sad drawback of ill health, her energy has never 
 failed her. She has always extended a helping hand 
 and a smile of encouragement to young artists, one of 
 whom was in Brown's studio ; another is the sculptor 
 of the ' Shipwrecked Mother,' who alludes to her kind- 
 ness in his short autobiography. 
 
 " But, while ascending the ladder to fame, her prog- 
 ress was arrested by ill health, and she now lives only 
 to feel, as she says, how little she has done compared 
 to what she might do could she devote herself to the 
 art. Anxious to impart to others this great gift, and 
 to stimulate her countrywomen to the development 
 of any latent talent they may possess, she formed a 
 class of young ladies, and most disinterestedly devoted 
 a certain portion of her time to their instruction for 
 several months. 
 
 " While all who know her admire the artist for her 
 talents, her unceasing energy, and philanthropic exer- 
 tions, they behold in her the good wife, mother, and 
 friend, and the elegant and accomplished woman, pre- 
 siding over the social circle. Her heart remains true 
 
ANNE HALL. 299 
 
 to the gentle influences of nature, while her genius is 
 ever responsive to immortal Art." 
 
 ANNE HALL. 
 
 Anne Hall was born in Pomfret, Connecticut. She 
 was the third daughter of Dr. Jonathan Hall, a physi- 
 cian of distinction. Her talent for art was early de- 
 veloped, and her father, who loved painting, endeav- 
 ored to foster the promise of her childhood. A visit- 
 or having presented her with a box of colors and pen- 
 cils, she began to use them ; and her father, who was 
 pleased with her progress, procured for her a box of 
 Colors from China. She had a brother who admired 
 and valued pictures, and whose praise encouraged her 
 to continue her childish attempts. He supplied her 
 with such materials as she needed for drawing and 
 painting. Every hint she received from artists was 
 turned to account, and she gave herself to her favor- 
 ite occupation with enthusiasm. She delighted in im- 
 itating nature ; and fruits, birds, flowers, and even fish 
 and insects were subjects for her pencil ; but she took 
 especial pleasure in producing likenesses of her friends. 
 Living in a retired part of the country, she had little 
 access to paintings of value for a long time ; but, be- 
 ing sent on a visit to a relative in Newport, Ehode 
 Island, she received some instruction in painting on 
 ivory from Mr. Samuel King, who had been an early 
 teacher of Alston, and also of Malbone. Miss Hall 
 gained less knowledge from her master's lessons, how- 
 ever, than from copying some paintings of the old 
 masters which her brother afterward sent home from 
 Cadiz and other places in Spain. These were faith- 
 fully copied on ivory in miniature. "A Mother and 
 a Sleeping Child," still in her possession, shows her 
 
300 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 progress at this time. " A Mother in Tears," copied 
 from a painting on ivory, was much admired as evi- 
 dence of fidelity in copying and skill in coloring. 
 Studying the pictures procured by her brother, she 
 learned to appreciate their excellences, while, by com- 
 paring them with nature, she was enabled to avoid the 
 formality of a mere copyist. She began now to give 
 form and coloring to the conceptions of her imagina- 
 tion, and attempted original composition. 
 
 Miss Hall took some lessons in oil-painting from 
 Alexander Kobertson in New York, but has chiefly 
 devoted herself to painting in water-colors on ivory. 
 Her merits have been acknowledged by the most dis- 
 tinguished artists in New York and different parts of 
 the United States to be of the highest order. Among 
 her miniature copies of oil pictures by old masters, 
 two from Guido were particularly noticed as executed 
 with surprising vigor and a rich glow of coloring. 
 Her groups of children from life were done with mas- 
 terly skill, and finished with a taste and delicacy which 
 a woman's hand only could exhibit. Her portraits in 
 miniature were acknowledged to possess exquisite 
 delicacy and beauty. The soft colors seem breathed 
 on the ivory rather than applied with the brush. A 
 miniature group often sold for five hundred dollars. 
 
 Dunlap mentions one of her compositions as " mark- 
 ed with the beautiful simplicity of some of Eeynolds's 
 Or Lawrence's portraits of children, evincing a mas- 
 terly touch and glowing in admirable coloring." 
 
 Miss Hall was unanimously elected a member of 
 the National Academy of Design in New York. Her 
 portrait of a lovely Greek girl, from life, was engraved, 
 and the rare beauty of the painting was universally 
 acknowledged. The floating silken waves of hair 
 
MARY SWINTON LEGARE. 301 
 
 have an unrivaled effect. A group of two girls and a 
 boy is admirable in composition, color, and expression. 
 Miss Hall's " management of infant beauty" is, indeed, 
 unsurpassed; her flowers and children, Dunlap ob- 
 serves, "combine in an elegant bouquet." 
 
 One of the best of her original compositions is a 
 group of a mother and child Mrs. Jay and her in- 
 fant. The first, clasping the babe to her bosom, has 
 a Madonna-like beauty ; the child is perfect in attitude 
 and expression. Another group of a mother and two 
 young children, the widow and orphans of the late 
 Matthias Bruen, has a most charming expression. One 
 of the children was painted as a cherub in a separate 
 picture, much valued by artists as a rare specimen of 
 skill. Miss Hall has also painted the portraits in min- 
 iature of many persons distinguished in the best social 
 circles of New York. Several of her groups have 
 been copied in enamel in France, and thus made inde- 
 structible. Three children of Mrs. Ward, with a dog 
 and bird ; a child holding a grape-vine branch ; with 
 portraits of Mrs. Crawford, widow of the sculptor, Mrs. 
 Divie Bethune, and the daughters of Governor King, 
 may be mentioned among numerous works, a single 
 one of which has sufficient merit to establish the au- 
 thor's claim to the reputation she has long enjoyed, 
 of being the best of American miniaturists. 
 
 MARY SWINTON LEGARE (MRS. BULLEN). 
 
 The family of Legard (once spelled L'Egaree) is of 
 the old stock of French Huguenots who furnished the 
 best blood of Carolina. Madame Legare, an honored 
 ancestress of our subject, being a firm Huguenot, im- 
 mediately after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes 
 sent to America her only child, Solomon, then seven- 
 
302 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 teen years old ; parting with him, as she believed, for- 
 ever in this life, that he might be saved from peril, 
 and not be tempted to abandon his faith. This boy 
 called by his descendants " The Huguenot" went 
 first to Canada, and in 1685 to Charleston, South Car- 
 olina. He became the ancestor of a numerous poster- 
 ity, of which, during the Ee volution, thirteen bearing 
 the name were patriot soldiers, active in the cause of 
 American liberty. 
 
 On the death of her husband, Madame Legare left 
 her native France and came to America. Here she 
 found her son married, and the father of nine chil- 
 dren. She had given him up for religion's sake ; God 
 restored him to her arms, able to minister to her de- 
 clining years. Her grandson, the great-grandfather 
 of Hugh and Mary Legare', died in 1774, at the age 
 of seventy -nine. Yet, when the Colonies entered into 
 a compact for mutual defense, he resolutely refused to 
 be put on the list of the " aged and noncombatant," 
 saying he was able to "shoulder his musket with any 
 man," besides managing a charger equal to any troop- 
 er ; he " would not be insulted by being laid aside." 
 Thus our heroine had a great-grandfather and two 
 grandfathers, besides other relatives, in the patriot 
 army of the Ke volution, where youths of sixteen and 
 eighteen often fought beside their grandsires. 
 
 The father of Miss Legare married a lady whose 
 grandfather, Alexander Swinton, of a Scottish family, 
 was sent from England, about 1728, as surveyor-gen- 
 eral of the province of South Carolina. He lost a 
 large estate by the villainy of executors and guard- 
 ians ; but after his death, Hugh Swinton, his son, was 
 taken to Scotland by his uncle, and educated as be- 
 came a young gentleman of birth and fortune, being 
 
MARY SWINTON LEGAKE. 303 
 
 married to a descendant of that John Hayne who fled 
 from the persecution of the Puritans by Charles II. 
 and his bishops, and fixed his home in Carolina. 
 Thus, on both sides, a heritage of honor and religious 
 faith is derived from her ancestors by the lady who 
 fills a place in our humble annals. 
 
 The name of Hugh Swinton Legare is endeared to 
 all South Carolinians, the more so as his genius and 
 literary attainments commanded celebrity on both 
 sides of the Atlantic. His sister's talents are not infe- 
 rior to his, though she has filled no place in the na- 
 tional councils nor at foreign courts, but in a quiet 
 and uneventful life has made her impression on the 
 social and intellectual advancement of the day. The 
 youngest of three children who survived the father, 
 she was born in Charleston, South Carolina, where her 
 childhood and youth were spent. Mrs. Legare, left a 
 widow before she had completed her twenty-eighth 
 year, devoted her time and means entirely to the edu- 
 cation of her little ones. She was a woman of extra- 
 ordinary mental powers, and her mind had been sed- 
 ulously cultivated. Her ideas of education were broad 
 and comprehensive, and her efforts were directed to 
 the training of her children in such a manner as to 
 make their lives exemplary, useful, and happy, as well 
 as to develop their intellects. How well she succeed- 
 ed the honorable career of all her children testifies. 
 The noble character and life of her eldest daughter, 
 Mrs. Bryan, and the brilliant fame achieved by the 
 son, add evidence to the fact that she was one of those 
 mothers whose offspring rise up to call her blessed. 
 Mrs. Legare died on the 1st of January, 1843, in the 
 seventy-second year of her age. 
 
 It was not strange that the children should grow 
 
304 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 up cherishing a deep and intense love for so excellent 
 a mother. Mary, an infant when bereft of her father, 
 very early showed a fondness for study, and a special 
 predilection for the languages and the fine arts. Even 
 before she was able to express emotions of admiration 
 or delight, she evinced a remarkable sensibility both 
 to melody and color. When less than three years 
 old, she would be affected to tears or moved to joyous 
 mirth by different musical sounds. Beautiful pictures 
 had for her young fancy irresistible fascination at an 
 age when she could hardly be supposed able to recog- 
 nize the objects they represented. Her mother fre- 
 quently observed of her little Mary that, when she 
 showed signs of impatience or weariness, or fretted for 
 want of amusement, all that was necessary to soothe 
 her discontent or charm her into happiness was to fur- 
 nish her with paper and a pencil. The child would 
 amuse herself for hours with her drawings. Her de- 
 cided talents for music and painting coloring in par- 
 ticular were soon perceived by this tender mother, 
 who determined to give her daughter every possible 
 aid in the cultivation of tastes so congenial to her own, 
 Mrs. Legare being herself accomplished in no ordinary 
 degree in both these lady-like pursuits. 
 
 Miss Legare had resolved to make herself mistress 
 of the languages even before she could read and write 
 English with any great proficiency. She had in these 
 studies, and other branches of scholarship, the best 
 teachers that could be procured. Her mother was her 
 first instructor in music. But it was otherwise in the 
 art to which she had determined especially to devote 
 herself; no efficient teacher of drawing could be found. 
 Although remuneration for lessons was liberal thirty 
 dollars per term being paid it was almost impossible 
 
MARY SWINTON LEGARE. 305 
 
 to find any one capable of giving proper instruction. 
 The young girl was therefore obliged to practice un- 
 aided the art she began to love with increased enthu- 
 siasm, and her progress was still more retarded by the 
 want of models or scenes in nature that might take 
 her fancy. The low country of South Carolina af- 
 fording the only landscapes she had ever seen 
 abounds in flat and swampy districts. There is much 
 beauty for an unaccustomed eye in the bleached wil- 
 derness of pine-land, with its stately, solemn groves, 
 through which the wind surges with ocean-like mur- 
 mur ; but it is not of the kind available for the artist. 
 Nor is that of the swamp, with its immeasurable ex- 
 tent of wood and impenetrable undergrowth, through 
 which may be seen at intervals the dark, turbid water 
 soaking its way through masses of tangled weeds, the 
 slimy abode of reptiles, or the hiding-place of the 
 water-fowl. There are green morasses choked with 
 vegetation, into which the sunbeams never penetrate ; 
 or over the quagmire, rank with decay, rise giant 
 trees, twined with thick creepers, and burying the 
 matted brush beneath them in black shadow. The 
 trees are often loaded with the gray hanging moss that 
 forms the ornament of woods in the low lands. The 
 mixture of gloom and beauty, of luxuriance and hor- 
 ror, is a striking novelty to the Northern visitor. The 
 ragged thickets, too, are alternated with islands of 
 lovely verdure ; the water-lily decks the dark lakelet 
 with its broad leaves and white flowers ; and graceful 
 vines festoon the evergreens, mingling bright blossoms 
 with their leaves of sombre verdure. 
 
 Such scenes presented little to tempt the copyist, 
 yet, notwithstanding her difficulties and discourage- 
 ments in painting, Miss Legare continued to struggle 
 
306 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 on toward the idea of perfection in her untutored im- 
 agination. Her brother Hugh was wont to remark 
 that " her passion lay there," in the painter's art. She 
 found not much sympathy in this chosen pursuit, till 
 some time in the year 1827, when she became acquaint- 
 ed with a gentleman who possessed a similar taste, 
 cultivated in a high degree by superior knowledge of 
 art. This was Colonel John S. Cogdell, who at that 
 time had considerable celebrity as an amateur painter. 
 Miss Legare submitted her efforts to his careful criti- 
 cism, and received from him the instruction she need- 
 ed. She has attributed her subsequent success to his 
 aid. He procured for her study the finest new pic- 
 tures that could be obtained. Among the artists 
 whose works were now introduced to her, Doughty 
 became, to her fancy, the beau ideal of excellence. 
 Even when a child she had been accustomed to turn 
 away in disgust, with a u 'Tis not pretty, mamma," 
 from flaring or exaggerated colors in a picture. Dough- 
 ty's subdued coloring, and soft, dreamy style, kindled 
 her imagination, and aroused her ardent emulation. 
 "Could I but paint one picture like Doughty's!" she 
 would often exclaim ; and it may be said her earliest 
 initiation into the school of Nature, and into an appre- 
 hension of her seductive beauties, was by seeing the 
 works of this eminent American landscape-painter, 
 whom his country allowed to languish in bitter pen- 
 ury, for want of the appreciation his genius should 
 have commanded. Miss Legare's first attempt to copy 
 one of his paintings succeeded beyond the most san- 
 guine expectations of herself and her friends. Colonel 
 Cogdell encouraged her still more by saying, " You 
 have an eye for color, which must insure you success 
 in copying nature." 
 
MARY SWINTON LEGARE. 307 
 
 In truth, the young artist did not long remain sat- 
 isfied with spending all her energies merely in copy- 
 ing the werks of others. Though she had never vis- 
 ited any other region than the low forest country of 
 her native state, she endeavored to create scenes by 
 combining various objects into a single composition. 
 Landscapes and rustic scenes in every variety were 
 her delight; yet, having never seen a mountain, nor 
 the country in any aspects different from the monot- 
 onous views in her neighborhood, how was she to pro- 
 duce an original picture ? How do justice in any way 
 to the powers of which she felt conscious? It was 
 not so easy for a lady to travel. In the South partic- 
 ularly, she would be hampered in many ways ; and 
 " Mrs. Grundy" would have devoted to death by tor- 
 ture any young girl who could have done so heinous 
 a thing as take a journey of observation by herself! 
 Miss Legare, therefore, was shut in to contemplation 
 of the boundless ocean and the swamp forest almost 
 as limitless. Dark scenes and deep shadows, with 
 warm glowing skies became features in her paintings, 
 and her trees of great variety, clear, deep water, and 
 skies were pronounced by critics superior to those of 
 the artists she most admired. She adopted in a meas- 
 ure the style of Euysdael, mingled, in the more deli- 
 cate shades, with the warmth of Cuyp. 
 
 In the summer of 1833 her longing wish was grati- 
 fied. She went, accompanied by her mother, to spend 
 the warm season amid the glorious mountain scenery 
 of the Blue Kidge in North Carolina. This region 
 has been thought to surpass in magnificence and maj- 
 esty any mountainous district in the Atlantic States. 
 Miss Legare was far more delighted with these mount- 
 ains than with the scenery of Lake George and the 
 
308 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Hudson, which she had visited the year before, find- 
 ing it, as well as the Alleghany range, to disappoint 
 her expectations. But when, on her approach to Ash- 
 ville, her eyes rested on the exhaustless variety of 
 form and tint, blended into soft harmony, on the dis- 
 tant Blue Kidge, the beauty and sublimity of the scene 
 filled her with emotions she had no language to ex- 
 press. There was awful grandeur as well as touching 
 loveliness in the view. Pisgah and surrounding peaks 
 towering skyward the summit covered with vapor 
 that glowed with gorgeous colors, like a drapery of 
 scarlet and gold the vast mass played on by the mel- 
 low purple and violet tints peculiar to lofty mount- 
 ains the delicate azure mingling with fairy lights of 
 golden violet all softened into harmony by an atmos- 
 phere so transparent, so Claude-like in its purity, that 
 it seemed the movement of a bird could be discerned 
 at a distance of forty or fifty miles ! Miss Legare here 
 realized, for the first time, what few out of Italy can 
 realize, the naturalness of Claude's landscapes; the 
 exquisite art of his tmequaled coloring, which gives 
 to his delineations of Alpine scenery so wonderful an 
 effect. 
 
 Miss Legare's intense enjoyment of the beauties of 
 nature in this favored region during a three months' 
 residence gave her an invincible repugnance to the 
 work of copying the productions of any human artist. 
 She always painted in oil ; and, having brought no ma- 
 terials with her, could not transfer to her sketches the 
 colors she so admired while on the spot. But memory 
 had faithfully treasured these delicious pictures, and 
 on her return to Charleston she lost no time in putting 
 them on canvas. " A Yiew on the Suwannee," now in 
 possession of the widow of Colonel Cogdell, was pro- 
 
MARY SW1NTOX LEGARE. 809 
 
 nounced by him a master-piece. Another view on the 
 French Broad, illustrating the distinguishing charac- 
 teristics of the scenery of that river, was purchased in 
 1834 by the proprietors of the Art Union in New 
 York. The first scene that had so struck Miss Le- 
 gare was painted on too large a scale. It was, how- 
 ever, much admired; and the same subject, repre- 
 sented in smaller compass, is esteemed a finer pic- 
 ture. 
 
 In Miss Legare's landscapes she gives to her color- 
 ing and combinations as much idealizing as truth to 
 nature will admit. An artist, who was delighted both 
 with her music and her painting, observed of the latter 
 to her brother Hugh, "It is natural, but more beau- 
 tiful than nature; it is poetical." Another, when 
 Hugh remarked that she must go to Italy, replied, 
 "No, your sister studies our own wild nature rich, 
 romantic, glowing under a tropical sun, luxuriant 
 when touched with frost ; if she go to Italy, or study 
 the old landscape-painters, she may give a finer finish, 
 but it will be artificial." These artistic criticisms gave 
 her encouragement; and when she repeated to Mr. 
 Cogdell what was said in praise of her works, he 
 would say, triumphantly, "I told you so, but you 
 would not believe me I" 
 
 Her rich foregrounds, transparent water, and distant 
 mountains, as well as her skies and foliage, have been 
 highly praised by Sully and other eminent artists. 
 She owed to Mr. Cogdell her introduction to the sci- 
 ence of perspective, having been accustomed in early 
 efforts to be guided by the eye alone. A knowledge 
 of anatomy was of use, as she always introduced fig- 
 ures into her landscapes, painted with fidelity and 
 spirit. She excels, besides, in the delineation of ani- 
 
310 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 mals, wild and domestic, especially dogs, cows, and 
 sheep. A Spanish pointer, painted nearly of life size, 
 was so perfect in anatomy that Dr. Sewell of Wash- 
 ington pronounced it a study for a student of that 
 branch. " The Hounds of St. Bernard" is an admira- 
 ble painting. The piteous, appealing expression in 
 the face of one that is represented howling for aid 
 struck even every child who saw it. A little girl ex- 
 claimed, " How sorry that dog is ! he is afraid the peo- 
 ple won't come." 
 
 Besides animals, Miss Legare has painted portraits ; 
 but this branch never enlisted her enthusiasm that 
 was for landscapes. 
 
 On the appointment of her brother as a member of 
 President Tyler's cabinet in 1841, Miss Legare accom- 
 panied him to Washington. Her life of calm enjoy- 
 ment was soon disturbed by sorrow. She was bereaved 
 of mother, sister, and brother within the space of a year. 
 She had long cherished a purpose of visiting the West- 
 ern country, and in June, 1849, went to Iowa. Finding 
 the country very productive and well suited to farm- 
 ing purposes, she sent for some of the children of her 
 deceased sister. They came with their families to the 
 new home, and formed a colony of twenty-one per- 
 sons. The scenery in Iowa, though often beautiful, is 
 tame compared to the mountainous country of the At- 
 lantic states. Green fields, luxuriant woods, flower- 
 bordered streams, and groves carpeted with wild 
 grass, forming a charming variety of landscape, aro 
 presented ; but there are few scenes that startle with 
 their magnificence or grandeur. Miss Legare found, 
 in the new cares that surrounded her, and the habits 
 of life so different from those to which she had been 
 accustomed, such a pressure of occupation, that her 
 
MARY SWINTON LEGARE. 311 
 
 beloved art was for a time abandoned. The Western 
 housekeeper usually finds little time for the pleasures 
 of the imagination ; but she was not one to forget the 
 best interests of others, particularly of her own sex. 
 She established an institution called " Legare College," 
 for the liberal education of women, at West Point, in 
 Lee County, Iowa. Her talents and taste, her varied 
 and uncommon learning and energy, as well as her 
 means, were devoted to the support of this institution ; 
 but its aim was too far in advance of the age in Iowa, 
 or, rather, its operations were impeded by that utilita- 
 rian spirit which has set its heavy, ungainly foot on 
 every high aspiration in this country, and has pre- 
 vented the progress of woman toward improvement 
 that might enlarge her sphere of usefulness. 
 
 A writer who is intimately acquainted with Miss 
 Legare now Mrs. Bullen thus speaks of her accom- 
 plishments : 
 
 " The literature of the world, its science and its art, 
 are with her as household things. They flow from 
 her eloquent tongue as music from the harp of the 
 minstrel. ISTo pent-up Utica confines her powers no 
 Aztec theory of woman cripples her labors, or impov- 
 erishes her mind or her policy. A Mississippi feeling, 
 and theory, and action actuate her, and we may all 
 look for corresponding results." Her influence in the 
 community where she resides has directed attention 
 to both art and literature. 
 
 Mrs. Bullen intends resuming the pencil she has for 
 years almost entirely laid aside. She has completed 
 a design for a painting to be called " The Squatter's 
 Home." It shows a wagon under the shade of a 
 Western group of tall trees, which serves for the sleep- 
 ing-place of the emigrant family. The mother is 
 
a 12 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 washing beside a stream ; the children are gathering 
 strawberries. 
 
 HEBMINIE DASSEL. 
 
 Mrs. Dassel was a native, of Konigsberg, Prussia. 
 Her father's name was Borchard ; he was a banker, 
 and at one time a man of fortune, which enabled him 
 to secure to his children an excellent education. He 
 lost his property in 1839, in consequence of financial 
 troubles in America ; the liquidation of his affairs re- 
 duced his possessions to a small farm, depriving his 
 family of teachers, servants, horses and carriages, and 
 all the comforts which they had enjoyed. Upon the 
 elder children devolved the duties of housekeeping, 
 and the cultivation of the farm to some extent, as well 
 as the instruction of the younger members of the fam- 
 ily. At this time Herminie devoted herself to the art 
 of painting as a profession, hoping to derive from it a 
 support for herself and family. She would attend to 
 her household duties in the morning, and then, with 
 port-folio in hand, wander off over the dusty or muddy 
 road to the city, and again return to attend to the 
 flowers and cabbages, and the making of cheese and 
 butter. She soon had the satisfaction of receiving a 
 commission for a full-sized portrait of a clergyman ; 
 this she painted in the church, with her model on the 
 altar, the country folk standing about, astonished and 
 wondering that such a tiny little girl could accomplish 
 such a marvel. 
 
 She soon went to Dlisseldorf, attracted thither by 
 the pictures of Sohn, which she saw in an exhibition 
 in her native city. She studied with this artist four 
 years, supporting herself entirely by her own exer- 
 tions. Her pictures found ready sale, consisting of 
 
HERMINIE DASSEL. 313 
 
 such subjects as ''Children in the "Wood," "Peasant 
 Girls in a Vineyard," " Children going to the Pasture 
 with Goats," etc. 
 
 After her return home she applied herself again to 
 portrait-painting, in order to obtain money sufficient 
 for a tour to Italy, which was the great end of her 
 ambition. She was fortunate enough to be able to 
 accumulate in one year a thousand dollars. Out of 
 this sum she furnished her brother with an amount 
 large enough to secure his promotion to a doctor's de- 
 gree, as she wanted to have him accompany her as a 
 traveling companion. 
 
 A journey to Italy was much opposed by all her 
 relatives ; a girl so young, fresh, and diminutive could 
 not protect herself; she would inevitably encounter 
 serious misfortunes. But her mind was made up ; she 
 packed her things, took leave of her friends, and one 
 morning started off on the way to Yienna, directing 
 her brother to follow her. She was never in want of 
 friends ; every where persons took an interest in her ; 
 without money one day, it was sure to come on the 
 next ; and her faith was never shaken by any accident 
 or hardship. In Yienna she began her studies, seek- 
 ing models in the streets, and taking them to her 
 room. From Yienna she passed into Italy. Of her 
 studious life in Italy many sketches bear witness. 
 
 The breaking out of the revolution in 1848 obliged 
 Herminie to leave Italy, and as the route to Germany 
 was unsafe, and she feared becoming a burden to her 
 friends, she resolved to go to the United States. An 
 opportunity presented itself to travel in company with 
 a family in whose house she lived after her brother 
 had been called home by the government. She rolled 
 up her sketches, put them in a tin box, and repaired 
 
 O 
 
WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 to Leghorn. "When about to pay her passage, the 
 draft she presented was refused. She sat weeping 
 over the disappointment, with letters before her from 
 friends in Kome and Germany, imploring her to aban- 
 don this suicidal plan of emigration; representing 
 strongly the dangers of the journey, the hardships she 
 would encounter in a foreign land, without money 
 and without friends. She came down to supper. A 
 traveler just arrived, observing her eyes red with 
 weeping, was led to show an interest in her ; she re- 
 lated her troubles, upon which the stranger examined 
 the draft, and, finding it good, gave her the cash for 
 it. This gentleman was an Italian, and she continued 
 in correspondence with him. The next day she was 
 on board a vessel bound for this country. 
 
 She arrived in February, 1849. The only letter of 
 introduction she brought" was to Mr. Hagedorn, of 
 Philadelphia, in whom she subsequently found a friend 
 and protector. She landed in New York, and at once 
 began to paint. Her first pictures, representations of 
 Italian life, exhibited in the Art Union, were much 
 admired, and some of them were purchased by that 
 institution. She found no difficulty in making friends. 
 
 Five months after her arrival she married Mr. Das- 
 sel. After her marriage she led a happy life, with 
 cares and sorrows incidental to the care of a family, 
 and to an arduous profession. She triumphed over 
 all, however, and realized all the comforts which be- 
 long to success. 
 
 Mrs. Dassel was most successful in portraits in oil 
 of children and pastel-portraits. Her painting of 
 "Effie Deans" attracted much attention. Her 'latest 
 works are copies of Steinbruck's "Fairies" and the 
 " Othello" in the Diisseldorf Gallery, which are unu- 
 
JANE STUAKT. 315 
 
 suallj successful works of this class. She made steady 
 progress in her art, and would have doubtless attained 
 a prominent position had she lived to develop her 
 powers by practice and study. 
 
 "We should not be doing justice to this noble wom- 
 an not to allude to the social virtues which endeared 
 her to so many friends. With nothing to rely upon 
 but her own exertions, with serious illness in her fam- 
 ily, she was never so poor in time or money as not 
 to interest herself in behalf of others more unfortunate 
 than herself. Countless instances are known of her 
 serviceable kind-heartedness. She exerted herself at 
 the time of the dreadful shipwreck of the Helena 
 Sloman, and obtained by personal efforts, in a few 
 days, the sum of seven hundred dollars ; and her min- 
 istrations among the poor were constant during the 
 severe winter of 1853. She has, it is true, many peers 
 in similar acts of benevolence, but few who practiced 
 deeds of this kind in a position so little calculated to 
 develop them. 
 
 Mrs. Dassel died on the 7th December, 1857, and 
 was buried in Greenwood. 
 
 Jane Stuart was the youngest child of Gilbert Stu- 
 art, the eminent portrait-painter. Like many of her 
 sisters in art, she inherited the genius she discovered 
 in early life ; but it was not till after her father's death 
 that the talent she had shown found development in 
 the practice of art. She has resided for a long time 
 at Newport, Rhode Island, in the enjoyment of the ce- 
 lebrity her talents have acquired. 
 
 Mrs. Hildreth of Boston deserves mention, especial- 
 ly for her portraits of children in crayon. Miss May 
 painted landscapes in Allston's style. Mrs. Orvis has 
 been mentioned as a flower-painter of remarkable 
 
316 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 skill. Hoyt remarked that he knew nothing better 
 in coloring than her autumn leaves and wild flowers. 
 In this style, Mrs. Badger, of New York, has acquired 
 reputation by her book of " The Wild Flowers of 
 America," published in 1859. The drawings were all 
 made and colored from nature by herself. 
 
 Mrs. Hawthorne of Boston has painted many beau- 
 tiful pieces. An "Edymion," which was greatly ad- 
 mired, she presented to Mr. Ernerson. She also mod- 
 eled the head of Laura Bridgman. Mrs. Hill is a 
 highly-successful miniature-painter. 
 
 Mrs. Greatorex is a landscape-painter of merit, and 
 is rapidly acquiring distinction. She has a deep love 
 of wild mountain and lake scenery, dark woods, and 
 rushing waters ; and her productions are marked by 
 the vigor of tone and dashing, impetuous freedom of 
 touch especially adapted to that kind of subjects. 
 This felicitous boldness she has in a remarkable de- 
 gree, and her works are marked by truthfulness as 
 well as strength. She has painted many pieces of ro- 
 mantic scenery in Scotland and Ireland. Her amia- 
 ble character, her ready sympathy and benevolence, 
 have interested many friends in her success. 
 
 Mrs. George Woodman, the eldest daughter of Mr. 
 Durand, has painted some excellent landscapes ; also 
 Mrs. Euggles. Miss Gove's crayon heads have been 
 much noticed and admired. Miss Caroline May's 
 landscapes have proved her claim to the double 
 wreath of artist and authoress. Miss Granbury's 
 flowers have attracted attention in the Academy ex- 
 hibitions. Some pretty interior scenes were in the 
 exhibition of 1859, painted by Miss Juliana Oakley. 
 It is necessary to omit many names of artists who 
 have not yet had experience enough to constrain pub- 
 lic acknowledgment of the genius they possess. 
 
LILY M. SPENCER. 817 
 
 . CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 MRS. LILT SPENCEB. Early Display of Talent. Removal to New 
 York. To Ohio. Out-door Life. Chase of a Deer. Encounter 
 with the Hog. Lifting a Log. Sketch on her bedroom Walls. 
 Encouragement. Curiosity to see her Pictures. Her Studies. 
 Removal to Cincinnati. Jealousy of Artists. Lord Morpeth. 
 Lily's Marriage. Return to New York. Studies. Her Paint- 
 ings. Kitchen Scenes. Success and Fame. Her Home and 
 Studio. Louisa Lander. Inheritance of Talent. Passion for 
 Art. Development of Taste for Sculpture. Abode in Rome. 
 Crawford's Pupil. Her Productions. "Virginia Dare." Other 
 Sculptures. Late Works. Mary Weston. Childish Love of 
 Beauty and Art. Devices to supply the Want of Facilities. Stud- 
 ies. Departure from Home. Is taken back. Perseverance amid 
 Difficulties. Journey to New York. Sees an Artist work. Finds 
 Friends. Visit to Hartford. Return to New York for Lessons. 
 Marriage. Her Paintings. Miss Freeman. Variously gifted. 
 Miss Dupre'. The Misses Withers. Mrs. Cheves. Mrs. Hanna. 
 
 LILY M. SPENCER. 
 
 MRS. SPENCER'S high position among American art- 
 ists is universally recognized in the profession. In 
 her peculiar style, her executive talent is probably 
 unsurpassed in the country. She has encountered 
 many difficulties in her path to success, and a glance 
 at her history will not be without encouragement to 
 those who possess a portion of her energy and perse- 
 verance. 
 
 Her parents, whose name is Martin, were born in 
 France, but removed to England soon after their mar- 
 riage. They were persons of education, refinement, 
 and good social standing. Mr. Martin taught French 
 
318 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 in academies in Plymouth and Exeter, and gave lec- 
 tures at his own house on scientific subjects, especially 
 optics and chemistry. Mrs. Martin at one time gave 
 instruction in a ladies' seminary in London. Lily 
 owed all her proficiency to her parents' judicious train- 
 ing, and never went to a school. Her talent for draw- 
 ing began early to exhibit itself. One day, when she 
 was about five years old, she got at some diagrams her 
 father had prepared for a lecture on optics, and drew 
 an eye so correctly that her turn for art was at once 
 perceived. 
 
 She was the eldest of four children, and was not six 
 years of age when her parents removed to New York, 
 where Mr. Martin was induced, by Dr. Hosack and 
 others, to open an academy. Mr. John Van Buren was 
 one of his pupils. Lily's drawings were much covet- 
 ed by the little scholars, who begged them from her, 
 and gave in return the most flattering expressions of 
 admiration. 
 
 When between eight and nine, she was taken to the 
 old Academy of Design. There she selected the " Ecce 
 Homo," as a special subject for imitation. The girl- 
 pupils laughed at her taste, and Lily, abashed, burst 
 into tears. Mr. Dunlap, then a teacher, came and ask- 
 ed what was the matter. When informed, he reproved 
 the girls, and predicted that the young stranger would 
 be remembered when they were all forgotten. 
 
 Her power of copying whatever pleased her child- 
 ish fancy increased, though she did not then appreci- 
 ate the necessity of a patient study of the elementary 
 principles of art. Her health was at this time so del- 
 icate that her parents feared she would not live to 
 reach maturity. The desire to afford her the advant- 
 age of country air and exercise, with the want of very 
 
LILY M. SPENCER. 319 
 
 attractive prospects for their enterprise in New York, 
 determined them to go to the West. They purchased 
 a farm in Ohio, a few miles from Marietta^ where they 
 soon had a picturesque Swiss cottage, with a beautiful 
 garden, and a mineral closet filled with the presents 
 of Mr. Martin's former pupils. 
 
 Lily was enchanted with the change from a city life, 
 and with the liberty she enjoyed of roaming at will 
 through woods and fields, for, her health being the 
 paramount object, no restraint was placed on the child. 
 Her time was passed in working in her garden, play- 
 ing and racing with other children, hunting for insects, 
 shells, and minerals, often wet up to the waist in the 
 search, while her drawing was forgotten. Thus con- 
 stantly, like Eosa Bonheur, in the open air, she rapid- 
 ly regained strength and health. One day, when about 
 thirteen years old, she was walking in the woods with 
 her father. A deer, frightened from his covert, dashed 
 by them to leap a fence. Lily wanted a pet, and in- 
 stantly ran after the animal. As he sprang over the 
 fence she caught his hind legs and clung to them, 
 while her father's dog throttled the captive. Some 
 men came up directly, and, seeing the girl with her 
 face covered with blood, killed the deer, notwithstand- 
 ing her entreaties that he might be spared. 
 
 On another occasion they were killing hogs at Mr. 
 Martin's place. A powerful young porker fled foam- 
 ing and champing from the slayers of his brethren, 
 and got over a fence into the orchard. Lily ran to 
 stop his flight, and the desperate animal made at her. 
 She tried to get a stick to defend herself, but her feet 
 slipped on the apples that strewed the ground, and 
 she fell, in the very gripe of the hog. The maddened 
 creature might have injured her fatally, but her faith- 
 
820. WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 fill dog sprang upon him, and diverted his rage to an- 
 other enemy. Lily saw his teeth buried in the poor 
 dog's shoulder, and, resolved not to abandon her de- 
 liverer, struck the hog a violent blow and ran; the 
 foe, still held by the dog, in swift pursuit. She was 
 overtaken close to a drain, into which the three com- 
 batants tumbled together. At this juncture the men 
 came running to the spot with three or four dogs, and 
 rescued both her and her preserver, that to the last 
 would not relinquish his hold of the porker. Lily's 
 first care was to pull into place the poor dog's dislo- 
 cated shoulder. 
 
 An illustration of her impulsive nature, and readi- 
 ness to give assistance where it was needed, is an inci- 
 dent that occurred a few months later. Six or seven 
 men were burning logs in a field. She saw them from 
 the house making signals that they wanted one more 
 hand to lift a log. Seizing a crowbar, the young girl 
 ran to the spot, placed it under the log, and helped to 
 raise it to the burning pile. 
 
 Her love of sketching soon began to revive. In her 
 fourteenth year she took a fancy to see the effect of a 
 new style of costume which she thought would be 
 very becoming to herself. She drew a lady's figure, 
 thus attired, with black crayons and coarse chalk, on 
 the wall of her bedroom. Pleased with her creation, 
 it occurred to her that the lady ought to be attended 
 by admiring beaux, and she added the figures of two 
 gentlemen. The group was delineated one day when 
 the other members of her family were absent, and, 
 fearing that her mother would be displeased at her 
 for daubing the walls, she hung her dresses over the 
 sketch, so as to screen it from observation. 
 
 The next day her young brothers were playing ball 
 
LILY M. SPENCER. 321 
 
 in her room, and chanced to discover the group on 
 the wall. Full of boyish mischief, they decided that 
 the richly-dressed lady would make a fine target, and, 
 in spite of their sister's remonstrances, they commenced 
 throwing their balls at her. Lily, in great distress at 
 the menaced destruction of her work, complained to 
 her mother ; and instead of being reprimanded for de- 
 facing the wall, was told to go on with her sketch, 
 while the boys were reproved, and forbidden to enter 
 her room. Encouraged by the praise she received, 
 Lily worked on diligently. She drew a colonnade 
 behind her figures, then added other groups, repre- 
 senting persons enjoying themselves at a place of fash- 
 ionable amusement. The background was a land- 
 scape of hill and valley, rock and sea. This picture 
 being much admired, she went on covering the walls 
 of her room from floor to ceiling with the creations 
 of her romantic imagination. Columns and statues, 
 fountains and grottoes, appeared in her scenes of lux- 
 ury and magnificence; and her landscapes were as 
 charming as the forms with which she enlivened them. 
 In every panel was a distinct picture. All her leisure 
 hours, after milking the cows and hoeing the corn, 
 were devoted to this amusement. It was true of her, 
 as Halleck says it was doubtful of his "Wyoming maid- 
 en, that she worked in the field " with Shakspeare's 
 volume in her bosom borne ;" with Sismondi also, and 
 volumes of history from her father's splendid library. 
 The farmers in the neighborhood, and the ladies 
 and gentlemen of Marietta, came to see the curious 
 sketches, both on the walls and on canvas, of which 
 they had heard. Saturday afternoons were appointed 
 for the reception of visitors. The fame of Lily's tal- 
 ents began to spread rapidly, and she was mentioned 
 
 02 
 
322 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 with praise in several newspaper notices. At her fa- 
 ther's persuasion she tried to study perspective and 
 anatomy, but it was more agreeable to her impetuous 
 nature to sketch from her own glowing fancy, than to 
 pore over the dry bones and plates of different parts 
 of the human frame. In coloring, also, she would 
 trust to her intuitive perceptions rather than to a reg- 
 ular course of study. Her father procured her mus- 
 lin for her experiments, and, after covering many 
 yards, she became fully aware of her own deficiencies, 
 which she resolved to conquer. Her unwillingness to 
 be taught arose from the self-reliance of an independ- 
 ent character, and not from an inflated idea of her own 
 acquirements. 
 
 Her parents became more and more solicitous to 
 give her all the advantages they could procure ; and 
 a letter from a wealthy gentleman of Cincinnati, de- 
 scribing the opportunities that would be offered for 
 studying in that city, determined them to leave the 
 farm and remove thither. 
 
 Miss Martin's pictures were exhibited in Cincinnati, 
 and attracted the attention of connoisseurs. They 
 were large, as her figures of life size best enlisted her 
 own sympathies. Her battle with the world now 
 commenced in earnest. The jealousy of rival artists 
 was awakened by the certainty that a rising genius 
 had come among them. Flippant critics pleased oth- 
 ers and their own vanity by decrying her productions. 
 But she continued to paint, and sometimes had good 
 fortune in disposing of her pictures, practicing her art 
 with undiminished industry and enthusiasm, even 
 while discouraged by the want of patronage. 
 
 On one occasion she was in company with Lord 
 Morpeth. Addressing him as " Mr. Morpeth," she 
 
LILY M. SPENCER. 823 
 
 was reminded apart by her father that she ought to 
 say "my lord." "No, indeed," replied the young 
 lady ; " I never saw a man I would call ' my lord' yet." 
 
 Miss Martin was married in Cincinnati to Mr. Spen- 
 cer. When surrounded by the cares of a young fam- 
 ily she continued to paint, but her style changed. At 
 first her pictures had been poetical and semi-allegorical. 
 She liked to embody some suggestive idea, or a whole 
 history, in a group, as in several of her scenes from 
 Shakspeare. Her " Water Sprite," representing the 
 escape of Spring from Winter, is of this class. After 
 she became a mother, her taste was more for bits of 
 domestic life, and she found matter-of-fact pictures 
 more salable than her cherished ideals. 
 
 After living some seven years in Cincinnati, Mrs. 
 Spencer returned with her family to New York, stop- 
 ping a year in Columbus, Ohio, where she painted 
 portraits and fancy -pieces. In New York she visited 
 the Academy for the purpose of improving herself by 
 drawing after the antique, often going in the evening, 
 as her labors and cares absorbed her during the day, 
 and sitting among the male art-students. One, who 
 noticed the quiet, modest-looking girl at work, under- 
 took to point out the best models, but soon discovered 
 he was trying to teach his superior. She was made a 
 member of the Academy. Her "May Queen" and 
 "Choose Between" were much praised in the Art 
 Union Exhibition. " The Jolly Washerwoman," sold 
 by that institution, became celebrated. It was paint- 
 ed impromptu from a scene in the artist's own kitch- 
 en. A connoisseur was so much pleased with one of 
 her pictures that he insisted on paying more than was 
 asked for it. 
 
 " The Flower Girl" and " Domestic Felicity," ex- 
 
324 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 hibited in Philadelphia, elicited general admiration, 
 and proved Mrs. Spencer's possession of the highest 
 order of talent. A connoisseur remarked that the 
 latter picture excelled any other production that had 
 appeared in the gallery since its first opening. Its 
 vigor and freshness were as remarkable as its rich and 
 harmonious coloring, while the drawing and composi- 
 tion were pronounced admirable. It represented a 
 mother and father bending over their sleeping chil- 
 dren, and several artists observed that they knew of 
 no one who could surpass the painting of the mother's 
 hand. The managers of the Art Union in Philadel- 
 phia were so delighted with this picture that a few 
 of their number privately subscribed to purchase it, 
 the rules not allowing directors to expend the funds 
 except for paintings selected by the prizeholders. It 
 was afterward sold to an association in the "West. The 
 Western Art Union purchased several of Mrs. Spen- 
 cer's works, and had one engraved for their annual 
 presentation plate. 
 
 Mrs. Spencer found her kitchen scenes so popular 
 that she adopted that comic, familiar style in many of 
 her paintings. "Shake Hands?" represents a girl 
 making pastry, and holding out her floured hand with 
 a humorous smile. This manner the artist has been 
 obliged to adhere to on account of the ready sale of 
 such pictures, while the subjects that better pleased 
 her own taste have been neglected. Yet she has con- 
 trived to introduce a moral into every one of her 
 comic pieces. " The Contrast" embodies a touching 
 story. It is in two pictures : one showing a pamper- 
 ed, petulant little dog, barking at some intruder from 
 his velvet cushion surrounded by silken draperies; 
 the other, a meagre, skin-and-bone animal, creeping 
 
LILY M. SPENCER. 325 
 
 through the pitiless snow-storm in search of food for 
 its young ones. Mrs. Spencer excels in her pictures 
 of different animals. 
 
 Some time ago Mrs. Spencer made a series of orig- 
 inal designs twenty or thirty illustrative of scenes 
 in the volumes of " The Women of the American 
 Eevolution." All these have not yet been published. 
 Perhaps more of her paintings have been engraved 
 than of any American artist. All are of her own 
 composition, and most of them are domestic scenes. 
 One called "Patty cake" shows a young mother, with 
 her baby on her lap, teaching it to clap its hands ; an- 
 other, " Both at Play," represents a father teasing his 
 little girl by holding an air-balloon just out of her 
 reach. These are done in the highly-finished German 
 style adopted by Mrs. Spencer. She usually takes her 
 own children for models. 
 
 " The Captive" exhibits a slave in market, her mas- 
 ter lifting the veil that concealed her charms. Its 
 touching expression is admirable. " Reading the Le- 
 gend" shows a lovely lady listening to a reading with- 
 in view of a noble castle ; but we do not like the taste 
 of either the costume or the attitude of the reader. 
 
 Mrs. Spencer encountered serious difficulties in New 
 York before she acquired the fame she now enjoys. 
 In 1858 she purchased a lovely place in a retired part 
 of Newark, New Jersey, where she now resides with 
 her happy family. Her studio is at the foot of her 
 garden, a large building, with its walls covered by 
 sketches, casts, etc., where the artist labors assiduous- 
 ly. Visitors from distant cities come here to see her 
 paintings, and she usually has several in progress at 
 the same time. " The Gossips, " a large painting de 
 genre, with ten figures of women and children, has at- 
 
326 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 tracted much attention. The scene represents the yard 
 of a tenement-building, where women are engaged 
 in washing, preserving fruit, cooking, and other sorts 
 of work. They have gathered into a group to listen 
 to some tale of scandal from a stranger, with a basket 
 of bread; and the children are getting into mischief 
 the while. A little boy has fallen into the bluing-tub 
 of clothes, while a younger girl is laughing violently 
 at his mishap ; a dog has laid hold of the meat a boy 
 has forgotten to look after, and a cat in the window is 
 skimming the pan of milk. The peaches in a basket 
 in the foreground look as if they might be picked out 
 and eaten, so rich and fresh is the coloring. The ef- 
 fect of light on one of the female figures is exquisitely 
 beautiful. The whole picture is highly finished, and 
 its merits are enough to make a reputation for any 
 artist. 
 
 Mrs. Spencer's pictures may be seen in many of the 
 shops where works of art are for sale, and the prints 
 engraved from them are very numerous. She has 
 now a prospect of independence and success before 
 her, and may achieve triumphs greater than any she 
 has yet accomplished. 
 
 LOUISA LANDER. 
 
 This young lady is a native of Salem, Massachusetts, 
 and descended from some of the oldest and most re- 
 spected families of that good old town. She is a 
 daughter of Edward Lander and Eliza West, whose 
 father was claimed as a relative, while on a visit to 
 London, by Sir Benjamin West. 
 
 Mrs. Lander's maternal grandfather, Elias Haskel 
 Derby, sent the first American ship to India, giving 
 the first impetus to our commerce with that country. 
 
LOUISA LANDER, 327 
 
 His were the first American vessels seen at the Cape 
 of Good Hope and the Isle of France. Captain Kich- 
 ard Derby, his father, was noted in the Kevolutionary 
 struggle. He bought and presented to the town of 
 Salem the cannon which Colonel Leslie attempted to 
 seize. When he demanded the arms, at the head of 
 his regiment, Captain Derby's reply was, " Find them, 
 and take them if you can; they -will never be sur- 
 rendered!" and his courage preserved the treasure. 
 He was instrumental, too, in inciting his fellow-towns- 
 men to the exploit of raising the drawbridge and sink- 
 ing the boats the first repulse of the British in the 
 commencement of hostilities. 
 
 Colonel F. W. Lander, the Pacific Eailroad explorer, 
 is the brother of the subject of our sketch. In various 
 branches of her family has artistic talent shown itself. 
 Her grandmother and her mother were remarkable 
 for their fondness for art, and gave evidence thereof in 
 works of their own. In the old family mansion, where 
 Louisa's childhood was spent, are carvings upon the 
 walls and over the lofty doors, designed by her grand- 
 mother, and executed under her directions. Similar 
 designs, evincing both taste and skill, decorated the 
 mahogany furniture ; and the canopies and coverings 
 of the furniture were embroidered by the lady, ac- 
 cording to the fashion of the day, her own fancy sup- 
 plying the beautiful designs. It can hardly be said 
 when commenced the artist -life of the young girl 
 brought up under such influences. She was, as a 
 child, singularly grave and thoughtful; serious and 
 reserved at all times, and decided in her judgment, 
 which was always according to the dictates of sound 
 sense. A love of art, which might be called an ardent 
 passion, possessed her nature from her earliest years. 
 
328 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 On one occasion the first time she had an opportu- 
 nity of seeing a work of real merit she stood quiet 
 and absorbed in admiration. Her sister, who had been 
 pointing out the peculiar touches of skill, turned to 
 ask her opinion, and saw her face bathed in tears. 
 This was a surprising demonstration for a child who 
 had been scarcely ever known to exhibit emotion, and 
 whose self-control was so uncommon that her manner 
 usually appeared cold. It seems as if art alone could 
 arouse the full ardor and energy of her spirit. 
 
 When a very little child, at different times, she mod- 
 eled two heads for broken dolls. One was made of 
 light sealing-wax, and the modeling of both was so 
 wonderfully accurate that her mother would not allow 
 the child to play with them, but kept them as curios- 
 ities. On another occasion Louisa brought one of her 
 drawings from school, so admirably executed, espe- 
 cially in the face, that her relatives thought the touch 
 a happy accident, and were inclined to disbelieve her 
 assertions that she had meant to produce the very ef- 
 fect given to her picture. 
 
 After her talent for sculpture had been fairly devel- 
 oped, she resolved on the devotion of her life to that 
 branch of art. Her intense perception and enjoyment 
 of the beautiful, awakened a thirst within her which 
 could only be slaked at the fountain-head ; and, driven 
 forth, as it were, by this longing, she left her happy 
 home in Salem her circle of beloved relatives and 
 congenial friends to go among untried scenes, fixing 
 her abode in Eome. There she speedily acquired a 
 reputation which drew around her friends interested 
 in the progress and triumph of genius. She was a 
 pupil of the lamented Crawford the only one he ever 
 consented to admit into his studio, for he had discerned 
 
LOUISA LANDER. 329 
 
 in her early efforts the promise of future eminence. 
 She evinced, from the first, a remarkable power in por- 
 traits, catching the most delicate and subtle shades of 
 likeness. One of her productions is a bust of Gov- 
 ernor Gore, executed from two oil portraits ; a difficult 
 piece of work, as the portraits were not alike, having 
 been taken at different periods of his life. The bust 
 was pronounced an excellent likeness by Chief Justice 
 Shaw and others who remember the governor. Miss 
 Lander finished it in marble for the Harvard Library. 
 It is to be placed in Gore Hall, in Cambridge. 
 
 This talent for likenesses is observable in the first 
 efforts of Miss Lander. When very young, before she 
 had attempted modeling, she carved from an old ala- 
 baster clock, with a penknife, several heads and faces 
 in bas-relief. These were noticed by a friend, who 
 gave her a bit of shell and some gravers, and at once, 
 without the least instruction, she carved a head in 
 cameo. Likenesses of her mother and other friends 
 were made, and pronounced very striking. Her first 
 modeling was a bas-relief portrait of her father ; it was 
 followed by a bust of her brother, the late chief-justice 
 of Washington Territory. 
 
 Her work " To-day," was seen in ambrotype, on 
 her arrival in Eome, by Crawford, and his admiration 
 of it perhaps induced him to receive her as his pupil. 
 The figure is an emblem of our youthful country. The 
 head is crowned with a chaplet of morning glories ; 
 the drapery is the American flag, fastened at the breast 
 and the shoulder with the stars. Its look forward 
 typifies progress in so spirited a manner that, at first 
 sight, one might be startled by the apparent move- 
 ment of life. A flower falling from the hair on the 
 neck behind, adds to this effect of motion. Power and 
 
330 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 spirit are prominent characteristics of the work. This, 
 with her "Galatea," a figure full of grace and tender- 
 ness, was modeled before Miss Lander went to Italy. 
 She had also finished a fine bust of her father, a per- 
 fect likeness, and exquisitely chiseled in marble. 
 
 After Miss Lander went to Eome, she executed 
 many portrait busts, among them a fine one of Haw- 
 thorne, and a bas-relief of Mountford. A letter from 
 Eome described, as seen in her studio, " A charming 
 statuette of Virginia Dare," about three feet in height. 
 This child was the granddaughter of John White, 
 governor of the Colony of Virginia at the period of 
 one of the early disastrous expeditions of Sir Walter 
 Ealeigh. 
 
 " About the month of August, in 1587, Mrs. Dare, 
 daughter of the governor, was delivered of a daughter 
 in Eoanoke, who was baptized the next Lord's-day by 
 the name of Virginia, being the first English child 
 born in the country. Before the close of August, the 
 governor, at the earnest solicitation of the whole col- 
 ony, sailed for England to procure supplies. An un- 
 fortunate turn of affairs at home prevented another 
 expedition from reaching Virginia until 1590, when, 
 upon arrival, it was found that the houses of the for- 
 mer settlers were demolished, though still surrounded 
 by a palisade, and a great part of the stores was dis- 
 covered buried in the ground ; but no trace was ever 
 found of the unfortunate colony. Bancroft says that, 
 when the governor sailed for England, he left the in- 
 fant and her mother as hostages, and it is presumed 
 that they were carried into captivity by the Indians, 
 as, after this, European features could be traced in the 
 Indian lineaments. 
 
 " Miss Lander represents her Virginia as brought 
 
LOUISA LANDER. 331 
 
 up an Indian princess, displaying in her erect attitude 
 and beautiful form the fearless dignity and grace that 
 such a life would impart. The head and face are very 
 fine, exhibiting the thoughtfulness and spirituality that 
 would naturally be derived from the dreamy recollec- 
 tions of her early life. The figure is semi-nude ; the 
 drapery, a light fishing-net, is charmingly conceived 
 and executed, being worn like an Indian blanket ; and 
 the ornaments are wampum beads. This design, pos- 
 sessing the charm of novelty and historic interest, 
 shows that we have in our own country rich subjects 
 of sculpture, without resorting to the old heathen my- 
 thology." 
 
 Miss Lander afterward made a life-size statue of 
 Virginia in marble. Her reclining statue of "Evan- 
 geline" forms a fine contrast to this ; " the one full of 
 force and energy, all life and motion; the other so 
 still and tranquil in her sweet, profound slumber. She 
 is represented at the moment when, worn out with her 
 wanderings, she sleeps under the cedar-tree by the 
 river-side, 
 
 " 'For this poor soul had wandered, 
 
 Bleeding and barefooted, over the shards and thorns of existence.' 
 
 Her deep repose is not so much slumbering as like one 
 in a trance. In the marble this is shown exactly by 
 her attitude, as though she had dropped from utter 
 weariness ; her drapery hangs heavily about her, and 
 still more heavily falls her hand ; the whole figure is 
 expressive of deep rest almost painful it would be 
 but for the beautiful face, lighted up by ( the thought 
 in her heart' that her lover is near, and that 
 
 " 'Through those shadowy aisles Gabriel had wandered before her, 
 Eveiy stroke of the oar now brings him nearer and nearer 
 (Now she slept beneath the cedar-tree). 
 
332 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Such was the vision Evangeline saw as she slumber'd beneath it ; 
 Fill'd was her heart with love, and the dawn of an opening heaven 
 Lighted her soul in sleep with the glory of regions celestial.' 
 
 Yery beautiful she is; and, as I gazed upon her, I 
 seemed to hear the dash of Gabriel's oar, as he glided 
 along behind ' a screen of palmettos,' unseeing and un- 
 seen, and was ready to exclaim, 
 
 " 'Angel of God, is there none to awaken the maiden ?' " 
 
 Another work by Miss Lander is " Elizabeth, the 
 Exile of Siberia," a spirited yet feminine.figure, "very 
 pretty in its picturesque costume the short cloak, 
 Kussian boots, and closely -fitting cap." 
 
 This gifted young artist has finished a statuette of 
 " Undine." It is a drooping figure, with expression 
 full of sadness, just rising from the fountain to visit 
 earth for the last time. The base of the fountain is 
 surrounded by shells forming water-jets ; Undine is in 
 the central one, and the drapery falls from her hand 
 into water as it drops. She has also finished a "Ceres 
 Mourning for Proserpine." The goddess is leaning 
 upon a sheaf of wheat ; her hands and head are droop- 
 ing, as if she were planning her daughter's escape. 
 " A Sylph," just alighted an airy, floating figure, her 
 puzzled attention fixed on a butterfly is another of 
 Miss Lander's creations. 
 
 MARY WESTON. 
 
 The history of this lady illustrates the development, 
 amid unfavorable circumstances, of that self-reliant 
 energy which often forms a marked characteristic of 
 the natives of New England. The spirit of independ- 
 ence, when joined, as in her case, to feminine gentle- 
 ness and grace, is ennobling to any woman, and its 
 working is both interesting and instructive. 
 
MARY WESTON. 333 
 
 Mary Pillsbury was born in Hebron, New Hamp- 
 shire. Her father was a Baptist clergyman, holding 
 the strictest tenets of Calvinism. In her humble home 
 among the mountains, though surrounded by nature's 
 wild beauty, the child found nothing to suggest to her 
 an idea of what art could accomplish. Nevertheless, 
 she saw objects with .an artistic perception, and loved 
 especially to study faces. When taken to church, she 
 would sit gazing at those around her, and wishing 
 that in some way of which as yet she had no con- 
 ception she could copy their features. One day, 
 when between seven and eight, she noticed a beautiful 
 woman, and, returning home, w r ent quietly to her fa- 
 ther's study creeping in, as it was locked, through 
 two panes of a window, to which she climbed by a 
 chair on the bed in search of a slate and pencil. With 
 this she began to make a sketch of the face that had 
 charmed her. She made the oval outline, but could 
 not give the expression about the mouth and eyes. 
 With a keen sense of disappointment she relinquished 
 the hopeless task. But the artist-passion was awak- 
 ened within her. 
 
 She loved to read books relating to artists better 
 than any thing else, though fond of study in general, 
 and her partiality for sketching was indulged when- 
 ever she had opportunity. Having observed the 
 work of a profile - cutter who chanced to come into 
 the neighborhood, she persevered in attempts at por- 
 traits, and practiced cutting them out of leaves and 
 paper. She had a beautiful young sister, and often 
 prevailed on her to sit, improving day by day in her 
 untutored efforts, till at last she was able, by the eye, 
 to take a correct likeness. 
 
 Her next achievement was copying the figures and 
 
331 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 decorations of Indian chiefs, who not ^infrequently 
 came into the little village. A servant girl, fifteen 
 years old, who was employed in her father's family, 
 knew how to sketch houses, and this knowledge was 
 willingly imparted to little Mary. Her pictures, 
 though rude in design and execution, were in great 
 demand among her schoolfellows ; but Mrs. Pillsbury 
 thought the study of painting would interfere with 
 more important branches, and that a thorough English 
 education should first be acquired. The young girl, 
 however, could not be prevented from watching the 
 drawing-lessons of other scholars. She would prac- 
 tice at home ; and so earnest was her application that 
 it was not long before she produced a drawing agreed 
 on all sides to be superior to the exercises of the reg- 
 ular pupils. 
 
 For the colors of her flowers Mary used beet-juice, 
 extract of bean leaves prepared by herself, etc., till the 
 welcome present of a box of paints made her inde- 
 pendent of such contrivances. The romantic scenery 
 surrounding her home had now a new charm. Day 
 after day she would wander about the fields and 
 woods, sketching, and indulging in visions of an art- 
 istic life. "When twelve years old, one day she accom- 
 panied her parents to Sutton, in New Hampshire. A 
 protracted meeting was held, and her father was to 
 preach. Paying little attention to the doctrines pro- 
 mulgated, as formerly Mary occupied herself in scan- 
 ning new faces in the rural assemblage. Near the 
 place of meeting was the colossal figure of the God- 
 dess of Libert}^ richly arrayed, and painted in colors 
 by a Free-will Baptist preacher. She obtained a seat 
 close to the window during one of the services, and 
 carefully studied what appeared to her a perfect tri- 
 
MARY WESTON. 335 
 
 umpli of art. After she went home she produced a 
 clever sketch of it. From this time goddesses of lib- 
 erty multiplied in her hands, and became famous in 
 the school and neighborhood. One of them was actu- 
 ally put into a magazine. So creditable were they 
 considered, that a rather unscrupulous young girl of 
 her acquaintance presented one to her lover as her 
 own work ; and when he challenged her to produce 
 another, she came to persuade Mary to make it for 
 her. 
 
 Caring little for th sports and pleasures of her age, 
 it was Mary's habit to shut herself up in her father's 
 study, and, seated upon the shelves, to read over and 
 over again the biographies of great men and distin- 
 guished women. She kept in advance of all the 
 school-girls meanwhile, and improved in her drawing 
 during the hours stolen from her spinning-tasks and 
 the duties involved in taking care of the other chil- 
 dren. She entered now on the reading of the stand- 
 ard and classical works contained in her father's libra- 
 ry, and a new world seemed opening before her. Am- 
 bitious longings and dreams broke on the monotony 
 of her lonely life. She resolved to become an artist 
 like those persons of whom she had read, and com- 
 pel appreciation from the world. But the mode of 
 accomplishing her wishes perplexed her. She saw 
 that it would be necessary to leave home and try her 
 fortune among strangers ; but she loved to picture the 
 day when she would return, laden with honors and a 
 rich reward for her labors when her family would be 
 proud of her success. 
 
 When about fourteen, she determined to take the 
 first step toward the goal she panted to reach. Se- 
 cretly she quitted her home, taking with her only a 
 
336 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 change of dress, and set out to walk through the for- 
 est to Ilopkinton, on the way to Concord, where she 
 intended to take up her abode temporarily, to earn a 
 little money by her labor, and then establish herself 
 as an artist. She walked thirty miles that day, and 
 very late at night came to a small house in the coun- 
 try, at which she stopped, requesting permission to 
 warm and rest herself. The simple people appeared 
 surprised to see so young a girl traveling alone and so 
 far from home. They inquired into the particulars 
 of her story with curious interest, and earnestly press- 
 ed her to stay all night. She consented, and supper 
 was prepared for her, after which she went to sleep, 
 wearied with the day's fatiguing journey. 
 
 On waking the next morning a strangely familiar 
 voice struck her ear. She dressed hastily, and went 
 down into the parlor, where she found her uncle, who 
 had come that far in search of her. Both wept at the 
 unexpected meeting; but when she had recovered 
 from her confusion, Mary begged to be permitted to 
 go on to Concord. This was decidedly refused, and, 
 reluctant and mortified at the failure of her romantic 
 enterprise, she was obliged to consent to be taken home. 
 
 She was received with tears and embraces by her 
 family, and no word of reproach, nor even a distant 
 allusion to her disobedience, followed her attempt to 
 escape from the restraint of parental authority. The 
 family seemed to be sensible that she had been hardly 
 dealt with ; for the dreams of youthful hope have sig- 
 nificance, and nature's bent should not be too rudely 
 thwarted. From this time more indulgence was shown 
 to her frequent neglect of work in which she felt no 
 pleasure, and to her devotion to books. She engaged 
 in her studies more ardently than ever. 
 
MAHY WESTON. 337 
 
 Mr. Pillsbury was not rich, and his daughter had the 
 prospect of being ultimately obliged to depend on her 
 earnings for a subsistence. It was her desire to enter 
 as soon as possible on the life whose hardships she 
 expected to encounter and overcome. She wished to 
 go beyond the mountains, into the beautiful world on 
 the other side. To her imagination the soft and rose- 
 ate tints reposing on those far-off summits were em- 
 blematic of the delights in store for her. But her pa- 
 rents opposed her wishes, and urged her to remain 
 with them, for some years at least. 
 
 She was about nineteen when, on a visit to Lynn, 
 she saw a portrait painted by a lady, which seized her 
 attention amid a collection of indifferent pictures. 
 The longing to be a painter again possessed her so 
 strongly that she felt it an irresistible passion. Her 
 first plan was to accompany the lady to Washington 
 and take lessons, but this scheme was abandoned. 
 About a year after this she went to Boston. Passing 
 a shop window, she saw a fine painting, that once more 
 enkindled the flame of artist ambition in her soul. 
 Her determination was formed. With the sanguine 
 hopes of youth, she fancied that a year's preparation 
 would enable her to paint professionally. She accord- 
 ingly devoted herself to the practice of her art with 
 that view. Her friends ridiculed the idea of her be- 
 coming an artist for a livelihood, and predicted the 
 failure of her scheme without powerful patronage. 
 
 But this kind of opposition no longer discouraged 
 her, though she was much hampered by the want of 
 time. The winter was rapidly approaching, and she 
 felt that it should not pass without some advance in 
 her beloved studies. She now resolved to go to some 
 place southward where she could see an artist work, 
 
 P 
 
338 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 and to paint cheap pictures for her own support, living 
 plainly in the country till her lessons were completed. 
 It seemed that she must either do this or die. 
 
 Without consulting any one, with only twelve dol- 
 lars in her possession, she left Boston in the early 
 morning train, leaving her trunk behind, and taking 
 only a basket with a few changes of clothes. The un- 
 dertaking was not without prayers for a blessing from 
 the Providence who watches over all human affairs. 
 Her father needed all the aid she could give him ; he 
 had suffered much, and sickness in his family had 
 crippled his narrow resources. The thought of all 
 this, and what she might do were she permitted to 
 work out her own ideas, had tortured Mary and ren- 
 dered her desperate. In the ardor of her determina- 
 tion now, obstacles seemed nothing ; she was resolved 
 to succeed. 
 
 An old man who occupied a seat opposite her in 
 the car noticed her, and asked many questions. When 
 they stopped at Providence, his evident curiosity an- 
 noyed and alarmed her so much that she ran with all 
 her speed to the boat bound for New York. On the 
 way she talked with the stewardess, and asked if she 
 knew any respectable house in the city where she 
 could obtain board. The stewardess was ignorant of 
 New York, but inquired of the clerk, and he directed 
 Miss Pillsbury to the house of Professor Gouraud, a 
 then famous dancing-master. 
 
 On repairing to this place she learned that the pro- 
 fessor did not receive boarders, but was recommended 
 to look for a house in Canal Street. Here it occurred 
 to her to go to a milliner's shop ; she knew there must 
 be many girls there, respectable, though poor, and 
 thought that she might hear of a lodging through 
 
MARY WESTON. 339 
 
 some of them. She received a direction to the house 
 of an old lady, whither she went. ' On being asked for 
 references, she frankly owned that she had none, and, 
 as the best explanation she could offer, related her 
 story. The landlady had heard through a pious friend 
 in Boston Mrs. Colby, a lady well known for benev- 
 olenceof the strange girl who wanted to be a paint- 
 er, and she willingly received the wanderer. 
 
 The next day Miss Pillsbury found out that an art- 
 ist lived in the neighborhood, and went to him to see 
 how oil-colors were used. She was allowed to watch 
 him while painting a portrait. Afterward she went 
 to Dechaux, who then kept a small store for colors; 
 and, provided with the implements of art, she went to 
 work in earnest. The little grandson of her landlady 
 was her first subject, and she painted a good likeness 
 of him, which was taken in part payment for board. 
 Even the artist was surprised at her success, and proph- 
 esied that she would do well after a year's study. 
 
 After she had been a week in New York, her host- 
 ess advised Mary to go to Hartford, Connecticut, and 
 gave her a letter to the Kev. Henry Jackson of that 
 place. She went there, and was kindly received. 
 While there, she painted a little boy, and produced 
 an astonishing likeness. She had to prepare her own 
 canvas, and grind her paints on a plate with a case- 
 knife. In about a week after her arrival in Hartford, 
 Squire Eider and his wife, of Willington, came on a 
 visit to Mr. Jackson. They were so much pleased with 
 the pictures Mary had produced, that they invited her 
 to return home with them and paint the members of 
 their family at five dollars a head. She was to pre- 
 pare the canvas, while they would find paints. 
 
 Mrs. Colby, in the mean time, had written to Mr. 
 
340 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Jackson, requesting him to advance money on her ac- 
 count to Miss Pillsbury, should it be necessary ; but 
 Mary had no need of more than she could earn. She 
 wrote to Boston for her trunk, and received it. Her 
 parents, by this time, had learned her whereabouts, 
 and no longer opposed her wish for independence. 
 
 She made portraits of all the Eiders, and of thirty 
 other persons in "Wellington. Among her sitters were 
 members of the family of Jonathan Weston , Esq. Sev- 
 eral persons raised a sum by subscription to pay for 
 the portrait of Miranda Yinton, the Burmese mission- 
 ary. Miss Pillsbury had many offers of a home, and 
 invitations to spend her time in different families, but 
 she preferred living entirely for her art. 
 
 Eeturning to Hartford, she painted a few more por- 
 traits. Mr. "Western's daughter became her particular 
 friend, and Mary was always warmly welcomed by 
 her in her father's house. 
 
 The young lady's uncle, Mr. Weston, of New York, 
 came to pay his brother a visit, and took a great in- 
 terest in Mary's paintings. He urged her to come to 
 New York, and improve herself by lessons and study. 
 After his departure, she became once more possessed 
 by an intense desire to revisit the city, and find some 
 method of making more rapid progress. She received 
 a letter from the gentleman's daughter, inviting her to 
 come at once to New York, where she could profit by 
 the instruction of experienced artists. The prospect 
 was an alluring one, but Miss Pillsbury felt that she 
 could not afford to give herself the luxury of such 
 lessons. She said this in her reply to the letter of in- 
 vitation. 
 
 Shortly afterward another letter came from Miss 
 "Weston, urging her coming more earnestly. Her fa- 
 
MARY WESTON. 341 
 
 ther, she said, would procure her a teacher, and would 
 make arrangements for the winter. She was pressed 
 to make her home at his house ; and, should she not 
 be successful in her undertaking, he pledged himself 
 to see her safely back to her friends. 
 
 This tempting offer was accepted. During the win- 
 ter Miss Pillsbury devoted herself to copying paint- 
 ings. Ere long she must have made the discovery 
 that another feeling, besides the wish to foster genius, 
 had led Mr. Weston to be so anxious for her presence. 
 Suffice it to say that in three months she became his 
 wife, with the understanding that she was to pursue 
 the profession she had chosen without restraint. 
 
 For a few years Mrs. Weston exercised her skill in 
 painting under circumstances tending to distract her 
 attention. She became the mother of two children, 
 and the care of them occupied most of her time. Sev- 
 eral of her copies have great merit. Her large picture 
 of the "Angel Gabriel and Infant Saviour," from Mu- 
 rillo, is in the possession of Mr. Henry Stebbins, who 
 married the daughter of Mr. Weston. She made a 
 very fine copy of Titian's " Bella Donna" and Guer- 
 cino's "Sibylla Samia." That of "Beatrice Cenci" 
 has been pronounced an admirable copy. She also 
 painted a "Fornarina." 
 
 One evening, at a watering-place, at the first ball 
 Mrs. Weston had ever attended, she was struck by the 
 appearance of a lady who passed her, leaning on her 
 husband's arm. The lovely features of this stranger, 
 her pure and brilliant complexion, her eyes beaming 
 with cheerful goodness, and an indefinable grace in 
 all her movements, impressed the artist as if she had 
 seen a vision. Some years afterward she met Mrs. 
 Coventry Waddell, and recognized in her the charm- 
 
342 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 ing ideal who had been enshrined in her memory. 
 Her portrait of this lady belongs to Mr. George Van- 
 sandvoord, of Troy. 
 
 Mrs. "Waddell's appreciation of Mrs. Weston's abili- 
 ties, and her friendship, proved a valuable aid to the 
 sometimes discouraged artist. 
 
 Mrs. "Weston's flesh tints are especially natural and 
 beautiful, and she gives a high finish to her copies of 
 paintings. Those from the old masters, and others, 
 have such wonderful fidelity that her achievements 
 in this line would alone suffice to make a reputation. 
 "A Witch Scene," from Teniers, is admirable. One of 
 her own compositions is " A Scene from Lalla Rookh," 
 and she has painted both landscapes and portraits 
 from nature. She still resides in New York. 
 
 ANNA MARY FREEMAN (MADAME GOLDBECIC). 
 
 has a high rank among miniature-painters in this coun- 
 try. She is the daughter of an American painter, 
 though she was born in Manchester, England, where 
 her parents resided for some years. She came to the 
 United States when very young, and early devoted 
 herself to the pursuits of art, from which she has for 
 ten years derived her support. She is gifted in vari- 
 ous ways ; she has written some excellent poetry and 
 stories, and is known as an accomplished elocutionist, 
 having given readings in New York and elsewhere 
 with success. Her powers as a painter, however, 
 have been exercised most profitably. 
 
 Julia du Pre, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, 
 was educated at Mrs. Willard's school in Troy, New 
 York. On leaving the school, she accompanied her 
 mother and sister to Paris. Mrs. du Pre wished to 
 cultivate to the utmost her daughter's talents for mu- 
 
JULIA DU PEE. 343 
 
 sic and painting, and gave her the advantage of the 
 best foreign masters. They had been three years in 
 France when a sudden reverse deprived them of their 
 ample fortune ; yet, with reduced means, they remained 
 a year longer, that Julia might devote herself to the 
 study of painting in oil. On their return to Charles- 
 ton, Mrs. du Pre and her daughters opened a school 
 for young ladies, which was attended with success. 
 The continual occupation of teaching, however, de- 
 prived Julia of time and opportunity for the severe 
 study necessary to perfect herself in the art to which 
 she had wished to devote her life. Every hour of 
 leisure she could command was given to portrait- 
 painting, and to making copies of admired works. 
 Many of these were executed with great skill, and 
 drew praise from Sully and other eminent critics. 
 One of her best portraits is that of Count Alfred de 
 Yigny, who had been intimate with her family during 
 their residence in Paris. Miss du Pre also made a 
 fine copy from Parmegiano, of a Virgin and Child, and 
 a Dido on the Funeral Pile, from Giulio Romano. 
 These, and other paintings, gained her considerable 
 repute as an artist. She married Henry Bonnetheau, 
 a miniature-painter of acknowledged merit, and con- 
 tinues to reside in Charleston. She spent the summer 
 of 1856 in Paris, for the sake of improving herself in 
 pastel-painting, and has lately finished some exquisite 
 works in that style. " The Love-letter," in the pos- 
 session of her brother-in-law, Dr. Dickson of Philadel- 
 phia, "The Liasons," and " L'Espagnole" have been 
 highly praised among these. 
 
 Mrs. Bonnetheau's gifts are crowned with the love- 
 liest traits of woman's character. She is esteemed and 
 beloved by a large circle of friends in Charleston, 
 
344 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 among whom are some of the best educated men in 
 this country. 
 
 The Misses Withers, of Charleston, South Carolina, 
 paint in oil and water colors, and cut cameos with 
 much ability and skill. They have also modeled 
 groups and figures with success, and are devoted to 
 these branches of art. 
 
 Mrs. Charlotte Cheves is an amateur artist who 
 might have gained celebrity had her life been given 
 to the study of painting. She was Miss M'Cord, and 
 was born in Columbia, South Carolina. She married 
 Mr. Langdon Cheves, and resides on his rice planta- 
 tion nearly opposite Savannah. She paints miniatures 
 on ivory, some of them excellent likenesses, and fin- 
 ished with great delicacy. She has also painted pic- 
 tures in oil, and excels in pastels and pencil-sketches. 
 She is a musician, too, and possesses a very fine voice. 
 
 Ellen Cooper, the youngest daughter of the celebra- 
 ted Dr. Thomas Cooper, was a native of Columbia, 
 South Carolina. She had a fine taste and much skill 
 in painting and ornamental work, and was remarkable 
 for intellectual culture and knowledge of general lit- 
 erature. She lived some years in Mobile with her 
 sister, and there married Mr. James Hanna, who took 
 her to reside on his sugar plantation near Thibodeaux, 
 in Louisiana. She died in October, 1858. Her sister 
 is one of the most accomplished amateur artists in the 
 Southern States. 
 
 About seven years ago a School of Design for 
 Women was started by Miss Hamilton, which, sup- 
 ported by voluntary contributions, met with encour- 
 aging, success. It has now been adopted by the trust- 
 ees of the Cooper Institute, and a sum is allowed an- 
 nually for the support of teachers. The attendance 
 
MARY ANN JOHNSON. 345 
 
 of pupils in 1859 has been double that of any former 
 year. 
 
 MARY ANN DOUGLAS, now Mrs. Johnson, is a na- 
 tive of Westfield, Massachusetts, where she at present 
 resides. She was married at eighteen, and had been 
 a wife four years before her artist-life commenced. 
 While a prisoner in her room, on account of sickness, 
 she amused herself by copying a landscape in oil-col- 
 ors. The success of this attempt opened to her a new 
 source of activity and pleasure. She devoted herself 
 to the study of painting, and labored with such earn- 
 estness and fidelity that her efforts were crowned with 
 success beyond her anticipations. Her attention was 
 directed especially to portraits. For the last four or 
 five years she has worked in crayon almost exclusive- 
 ly, and has found employment abundantly remunera- 
 tive. A visit to New London, Connecticut, was pro- 
 longed to nine months' stay, so great was the popu- 
 larity of her works in that place ; and during a trip 
 into Central New York she painted many portraits in 
 oil at excellent prices. Her indefatigable patience in 
 the execution of details, the fidelity of her likenesses, 
 and the delicate perfection of finish in her pictures, 
 are remarkable. In the relations of social life Mrs. 
 Johnson has shown herself amiable and self-sacrific- 
 ing. She has not an acquaintance who does not re- 
 joice in the triumphs so worthily won in spite of 
 many discouragements. 
 
 P2 
 
346 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
 
 EMMA STEBBINS. Favorable Circumstances of her early Life to the 
 Study of Art. Specimens of her Skill shown in private Circles. 
 Receives Instruction from Henry Inman. Correctness of her Por- 
 traits. "A Book of Prayer." Revives Taste for Illuminations. 
 Her crayon Portraits. Copies of Paintings. Cultivates many 
 Branches of Art. Becomes a Sculptor. Abode in Rome. In- 
 struction received from Gibson and Akers. Late Work from her 
 Chisel. "The Miner." HARRIET HOSMER. Dwelling of the 
 Sculptor Gibson in Rome. His Studio and Work-room. "La 
 Signorina." The American Sculptress. Her Childhood. Phys- 
 ical Training. School-life. Anecdotes. Studies at Home. At 
 St. Louis. Her Independence. Trip on the Mississippi. "Hes- 
 per." Departure for Rome. Mr. Gibson's Decision. Extract 
 from Miss Hosmer's Letter. Original Designs. Reverse of For- 
 tune. Alarm, Resolution. Industry, Economy, and Success. 
 Late Works. Visit of the Prince of Wales. 
 
 EMMA STEBBINS. 
 
 FEW lady artists of this or any country have been 
 surrounded with circumstances more favorable to the 
 development of genius. Her childhood was passed 
 among those who possessed culture and refined taste, 
 and she was familiar with the elegant adornments of 
 life. She learned early to embody the delicate crea- 
 tions of her fancy in song or pictures, as well as to im- 
 itate what pleased her. Her family and nearest circle 
 of friends were ready as is not always the case to 
 appreciate and encourage her efforts. But, though 
 she had no early difficulties to struggle with, the steep 
 and rugged path to eminent success could not be 
 smoothed by the hand of affection, and she has gone 
 
EMMA STEBBINS. 347 
 
 through, all the lessoning and exercise of powers de- 
 manded for the achievement of greatness, as well from 
 those favored of fortune as those to whom the capri- 
 cious goddess has proved a step-dame. 
 
 Miss Stebbins is a native of the city of New York, 
 where, till within a few years, she employed the rare 
 skill she had acquired in different branches of art for 
 the gratification of her friends or for charitable pur- 
 poses. Several artists noticed in the beautiful speci- 
 mens which were shown in various circles as her work 
 the evidence of more than ordinary talent. Among 
 these was Henry Inman, the distinguished painter. 
 He invited the young girl to visit his studio, and of- 
 fered to give her instruction in oil-painting. She had 
 never before taken lessons, and was pleased with the 
 prospect of study. She improved under the direc- 
 tions of her teacher, and to this aid some of her friends 
 attributed the masterly correctness and grace displa} 7 -- 
 ed in her portraits, and for which afterward her cray- 
 on sketches were so much admired. 
 
 One of Miss Stebbins's early works was a volume 
 to which she gave the title, " A Book of Prayer." It 
 contains some beautiful specimens of her poetry, but 
 is chiefly remarkable for its exquisite illuminations. 
 It was one of the first among the efforts to revive that 
 style of illustration ; and the originality, grace, and 
 beauty of the designs, with the delicate and elaborate 
 finish of the execution, made it quite a curiosity of 
 art. Some other books were illuminated by Miss 
 Stebbins in the same manner. 
 
 The love of art in the child of genius " grows by 
 what it feeds on," and claims an undivided devotion 
 to its pursuits. Perhaps no kind of knowledge is so 
 fascinating when its fruits are tasted. Miss Stebbins 
 
348 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 found no charm in the social pleasures at her com- 
 mand which could draw her attention from painting. 
 She finally resolved on an exclusive consecration of 
 her talents to art, making it the sole business of her 
 life. She determined to go to Eome. 
 
 Several of her crayon portraits, executed in Rome, 
 received the highest encomiums from acknowledged 
 judges in that city. A copy she made of the " St. 
 John" of Du Boeuf, and one from a painting in the 
 gallery of the Louvre, representing a "Girl Dictating 
 a Love-letter," were noted among her oil-paintings. 
 Her " Boy and Bird's Nest" was done in the style of 
 Murillo. Her pastel-painting of " Two Dogs" has been 
 highly praised. 
 
 Almost every branch of the imitative art has been 
 at different periods cultivated by Miss Stebbins, and 
 her success proves the scope and versatility of her tal- 
 ent. Besides painting in oil and water colors, she has 
 practiced drawing on wood and carving wood, model- 
 ing in clay, and working in marble. It is probably 
 in the difficult art of sculpture that she will leave to 
 America the works by which she will be most widely 
 known. 
 
 She profited, like Miss Hosmer, by the counsels and 
 supervision of Gibson, and the careful instruction of 
 Akers. A work from her chisel, in the spring of 
 1859, commanded the highest suffrages. Mr. Heck- 
 scher, a large proprietor of coal-mines in the United 
 States, had requested Miss Stebbins to execute for 
 him two typical statues one of Industry, the other 
 of Commerce. The figure of Industry is completed, 
 and has been represented by the artist, with graceful 
 taste, as a miner. A critic says : 
 
 " The figure is that of an athletic, admirably -pro- 
 
HARRIET HOSMER. 34$ 
 
 portioned youth, who bears upon his right shoulder 
 the pick, and in the front of his picturesque slouched 
 hat the miner's lamp. The weight of the body is 
 thrown easily and naturally upon the right leg, and 
 the left hand rests with the carelessness of manly 
 strength upon a block of marble, drilled and hewn in 
 the manner of a mass of coal. The symmetrical vigor 
 of the figure, admirable as it is, is not more admirable 
 than the lofty, ingenuous beauty of the classic head 
 and face, poised in an attitude equally unforced and 
 striking, upon the graceful, well-rounded throat. The 
 drapery of the full shirt, open at the neck and close- 
 gathered about the waist, is managed with particular 
 skill ; and while the whole figure reminds one strik- 
 ingly of one of those magnificent Gothic kings whose 
 images stand in the vestibule of the Museo Borlonico, 
 at Naples, the spirit and air of it are purely modern 
 and American. It is, in truth, one of the most felici- 
 tous combinations of every-day national truth with the 
 enduring and cosmopolite truth of art- ever seen, and 
 it is a work which does equal credit to the sex and the 
 country of the artist." 
 
 Miss Stebbins has taken up her residence perma- 
 nently in Eome, amid those surroundings and associ- 
 ations sought by artists of all nations as most favora- 
 ble to their progress. She has been for some time en- 
 gaged in modeling in clay several groups which, though 
 as yet unfinished, have been criticised favorably by 
 connoisseurs and friends. 
 
 HARRIET HOSMER. 
 
 In the Yia Fontanella at Kome a street close upon 
 the beautiful Piazza del Popolo, and running at a right 
 angle from the Babuino to the Corso, a few steps out 
 
350 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 of the Babuino on the left is a large, rough, worm- 
 eaten door, which has evidently seen good service, and 
 from the appearance of which no casual and uninitia- 
 ted passer-by would suspect the treasures of art it con- 
 ceals and protects. A small piece of whip-cord, with 
 a knot as handle, issues from a perforated hole, by 
 means of which a small bell being set in motion 
 access is gained to the studio of England's greatest liv- 
 ing master of sculpture, John Gibson. 
 
 The threshold crossed, the visitor finds himself at 
 once in the midst of this artist's numerous works. In 
 a large barn-like shed, with a floor of earth, on pedes- 
 tals of various materials, shapes, and sizes, stand the 
 beautiful Cupid and Butterfly, the wounded Amazon, 
 Paris and Proserpine gathering flowers, the charming 
 groups of Psyche borne by the Zephyrs, of Hylas and 
 the^Water Nymphs, and the noble basso-relievo of 
 Phaeton and the Hours leading forth the horses of 
 the Sun, with, perhaps, a bust or figure in progress by 
 the workman whose duty it is to keep the studio and 
 attend to the numerous visitors. Facing the door of 
 entry just described is its counterpart, opening into a 
 fairy-like square plot of garden, filled with orange and 
 lemon trees and roses, and, in the spring, fragrant with 
 violets blue and white, Cape jasmine, and lilies of the 
 valley ; while, in a shady recess, and fern-grown nook 
 trickles a perpetual fountain of crystal-clear water. 
 The sun floods this tiny garden with his golden light, 
 flecking the trellised walks with broken shadows, and 
 wooing his way, royal and irresistible lover as he is, 
 to the humbler floral divinities of the place, sheltered 
 beneath their own green leaves, or in the superb shade 
 of the acanthus. Lovely is the effect of this rich glow 
 of sunlight as one stands in the shade of the studio, 
 
HARRIET HOSMEK. 351 
 
 perfumed with the sweet blossoms of the South ; love- 
 ly the aspect both of nature and of art, into the pres- 
 ence of which we are so suddenly and unexpectedly 
 ushered from the ugly, dirty street without. Having 
 gazed our fill here, we step into the garden, and, turn- 
 ing to the right, if we be favored visitors, friends, or 
 the friends of friends, we "are next ushered into the 
 sanctum of the master himself, whom we shall proba- 
 bly find engaged in modeling, and from whom we 
 shall certainly receive a kind and genial welcome, 
 granting always that we have some claim for our in- 
 trusion upon his privacy. 
 
 This room, long and narrow, is boarded, and has 
 some pretensions to comfort; but throughout the 
 whole range of studios the absence of care and atten- 
 tion will strike the eye, more especially as it is the 
 present fashion in Eome to render the studios both of 
 painter and sculptor as comfortable and habitable as 
 possible. From Mr. Gibson's own room we are taken 
 into another rough shed, where the process of trans- 
 formation from plaster to marble is carried on, and 
 where frequent visitors can not fail to discover the 
 vast difference which exists in skill and natural apti- 
 tude among the numerous workmen employed. 
 
 As the different processes of sculpture are but little 
 known, it may not be out of place here to throw some 
 light upon them. The artist himself models the figure, 
 bust, or group, whatever it may be, in clay, spending 
 all his skill, time, and labor on this first stage. When 
 complete and many months, sometimes even years of 
 unwearied study are given to the task a plaster cast 
 is taken from the clay figure, from which cast the 
 workmen put the subject into marble, the artist super- 
 intending it, and reserving to himself the more deli- 
 
352 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 cate task of finishing. Thorwaldsen, speaking of these 
 processes, says, " that the clay model may be called 
 creation, the plaster cast death, and the marble resur- 
 rection." Certain it is that the clay model and the 
 marble statue, when each has received the finishing 
 stroke, are more closely allied, more nearly identical, 
 one with the other, than either is with the plaster cast. 
 So alive are sculptors to the fact of the injury done to 
 their works by being seen in plaster casts, that they 
 bestow great pains in working them over by hand to 
 restore something of the fineness and sharpness which 
 the process of modeling has destroyed. So impressed 
 with this is Powers, the American sculptor, that, with 
 the ingenuity and inventive skill of his country, he 
 has succeeded in making a plaster hard almost as mar- 
 ble, and which bears with equal impunity the file, 
 chisel, and polisher. 
 
 There are in Eome workmen devoted to the pro- 
 duction of certain portions of the figure, draped or un- 
 draped ; for instance, one man is distinguished for his 
 ability in working the hair, and confines himself to 
 this specialty ; while another is famous for his meth- 
 od of rendering the quality of flesh, and a third is un- 
 equaled in drapery. Yery rarely does it happen that 
 the artist is lucky enough to find all these qualities 
 combined in one man, but it does occasionally happen ; 
 and Mr. Gibson is himself fortunate in the possession 
 of a workman whose skill and manipulative power, in 
 all departments, are of the highest order. A Eo- 
 man by birth, the handsome and highly organized 
 Camillo, with his slight figure, and delicate, almost 
 effeminate hands, is a master of the mallet and chisel, 
 and, from the head to the foot, renders and interprets 
 his model with artistic power and feeling. The man 
 
HABKIET HOSHEK. 353 
 
 loves his work, and the work repays his love, as when 
 does it not, from the sublime labors of genius to the 
 humblest vocation of street or alley ? 
 
 To return from our digression ; leaving the work- 
 room, we cross one side of the small garden, and by 
 just such another rough door as the two we have al- 
 ready passed through in the first studio, we enter an- 
 other capacious, barn-like apartment, the centre of 
 which is occupied by the colored Venus, so dear to 
 Mr. Gibson's heart that, though executed to order, 
 year after year passes on, and he can not make up his 
 mind to part with it. Eanged around the walls of 
 this capacious studio are casts of the Hunter, one of 
 the earliest and most vigorous of Mr. Gibson's works ; 
 of the Queen, of the colossal group in the House of 
 Lords, and sundry others. Having inspected these at 
 our leisure, and viewed the Yenus from the most ap- 
 proved point, probably under the eye of the master, 
 who never tires of expatiating on the great knowledge 
 of the ancients in coloring their statues, a curtain across 
 the left-hand corner of the studio is lifted, and the at- 
 tendant inquires if " la signorina" will receive visitors. 
 The permission given, we ascend a steep flight of stairs, 
 and find ourselves in a small upper studio, face to face 
 with a compact little figure, five feet two in height, in 
 cap and blouse, whose short, sunny brown curls, broad 
 brow, frank and resolute expression of countenance, 
 give one at the first glance the impression of a hand- 
 some boy. It is the first glance only, however, which 
 misleads one. The trim waist and well-developed bust 
 belong unmistakably to a woman, and the deep, earn- 
 est eyes, firm-set mouth, and modest dignity of deport- 
 ment show that woman to be one of no ordinary char- 
 acter and ability. 
 
354: WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Thus, reader, we Have brought you face to face with 
 the subject of this sketch, Harriet Hosmer, the Amer- 
 ican sculptress. 
 
 Born at Watertown, Mass., in the year 1831, Harriet 
 Hosmer is the only surviving daughter of a physician, 
 who, having lost wife and child by consumption, and 
 fearing a like fate for the survivor, gave her horse, 
 dog, gun, and boat, and insisted upon an out-doors 
 life as indispensable to health. A fearless horsewoman, 
 a good shot, an adept in rowing, swimming, diving, 
 and skating, Harriet Hosmer is a signal instance of 
 what judicious physical training will effect in conquer- 
 ing even hereditary taint of constitution. Willingly 
 as the active, energetic child acquiesced in her father's 
 wishes, she contrived, at the same time, to gratify and 
 develop her own peculiar tastes; and many a time 
 and oft, when the worthy doctor may have flattered 
 himself that his darling was in active exercise, she 
 might have been found in a certain clay -pit, not very 
 far from the paternal residence, making early attempts 
 at modeling horses, dogs, sheep, men and women, or 
 any object which attracted her attention. Both here, 
 and subsequently at Lenox, she made good use of her 
 time by studying natural history, and of her gun by 
 securing specimens for herself of the wild creatures of 
 the woods, feathered and furred ; dissecting some, and 
 with her own hands preparing and stuffing others. 
 The walls of the room devoted to her special use in 
 " the old house at home," are covered with birds, bats, 
 butterflies and beetles, snakes and toads, while sundry 
 bottles of spirits contain subjects carefully dissected 
 and prepared by herself. 
 
 Ingenuity and taste were shown in the use to which 
 the young girl applied the eggs and feathers of the 
 
HARRIET HOSMER. 355 
 
 nests and birds she had pilfered. One inkstand, a 
 very early production, evinces mechanical genius and 
 artistic taste. Taking the head, throat, wings, and 
 side feathers of a bluebird, she blew the contents from 
 a hen's egg, and set it on end, forming the breast of 
 the bird by the oval surface of the egg, while through 
 the open beak and extended neck entrance was gained 
 to the cavity of the egg containing the ink. 
 
 No one could look round this apartment, occupied 
 by the child and young girl, without at once recog- 
 nizing the force and individuality of character which 
 have since distinguished her. 
 
 Full of fun and frolic, numerous anecdotes are told 
 of practical jokes perpetrated to such an excess that 
 Dr. Hosmer was satisfied with the progress toward 
 health and strength his child had made ; and having 
 endeavored, without success, to place her under tuition 
 in daily and weekly schools near home, he determined 
 to commit her to the care of Mrs. Sedgwick, of Len- 
 ox, Massachusetts. Thither the young lady, having 
 been expelled from one school, and given over as in- 
 corrigible at another, was accordingly sent, with strict 
 injunctions that health should still be a paramount 
 consideration, and that the new pupil should have lib- 
 erty to ride and walk, shoot and swim to her heart's 
 content. In wiser or kinder hands the young girl 
 could not have been placed. Here, too, she met 
 with Mrs. Fanny Kemble, whose influence tended to 
 strengthen and develop her already decided tastes and 
 predilections. To Mrs. Kemble we have heard the 
 young artist gratefully attribute the encouragement 
 which decided her to follow sculpture as a profession, 
 and to devote herself and her life to the pursuit of art. 
 
 Miss Hosmer's school - fellows remember many 
 
356 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 pranks and exploits that showed her daring spirit and 
 love of frolic. One of these was capturing a hawk's 
 nest from the top of a very high forest-tree, to which 
 she climbed at the risk of her life. Her room was 
 decorated, as at home, with grotesque preserved spec- 
 imens, among which was a variety of reptiles, usually 
 the horror of young ladies. 
 
 An anonymous squib upon Boston and Bostonians 
 was about this time attributed to Miss Hosmer. A 
 practical joke upon a physician of Boston had been 
 the immediate cause of her being sent to Lenox. Her 
 health having given her father some uneasiness, the 
 gentleman in question, a physician in large practice, 
 was called in to attend her. The rather uncertain 
 visits of this physician proved a source of great an- 
 noyance and some real inconvenience to his patient, 
 inasmuch as they interfered with her rides and drives, 
 shooting, and boating excursions. Having borne with 
 the inconvenience some time, she requested the gen- 
 tleman, as a great favor, to name an hour for his call, 
 that she might make her arrangements accordingly. 
 The physician agreed, but punctuality is not always 
 at the command of professional men. Matters were 
 as bad as ever. Sometimes the twelve o'clock ap- 
 pointment did not come off till three in the afternoon. 
 
 One day, in particular, Dr. was some hours 
 
 after the time. A playful quarrel took place between 
 physician and patient; and, as he rose to take his 
 leave, and offered another appointment, Miss Hosmer 
 insisted upon his giving his word to keep it. 
 
 "If I am alive," said he, "I will be here," naming 
 some time on a certain day. 
 
 " Then, if you are not here," was the reply, " I am 
 to conclude that vou are dead." 
 
HAKK1ET HOSMER. 357 
 
 Thus they parted. The day and hour arrived, but 
 no doctor made his appearance. That evening Miss 
 Hosmer rode into Boston, and next morning the pa- 
 pers announced the decease of Dr. . Half Bos- 
 ton and its neighborhood rushed to the physician's 
 house to leave cards and messages of condolence for 
 the family, and to inquire into the cause of the sudden 
 and lamentable event. 
 
 In 1850, being then nineteen, Harriet Hosmer left 
 Lenox. Mrs. Sedgwick's judicious treatment, and the 
 motive and encouragement supplied by Mrs. Kemble, 
 had given the right impetus to that activity of mind 
 and body which needed only guiding and directing 
 into legitimate channels. She returned to her father's 
 house, at Watertown, to pursue her art-studies, and to 
 fit herself for the career she had resolved upon follow- 
 ing. There was at this time a cousin of Miss Hos- 
 mer's studying with her father, between whom and 
 herself existed a hearty camaraderie. Together the 
 two spent many hours in dissecting legs and arms, 
 and in making acquaintance with the human frame, 
 Dr. Hosmer having erected a small building at the 
 bottom of his garden to facilitate these studies. Those 
 were days of close study and application. Lessons in 
 drawing and modeling for which our young student 
 had to repair to Boston, a distance of seven or eight 
 miles and anatomical studies with her cousin, were 
 alternated with the inevitable rides and boating on 
 which her father wisely insisted. The Eiver Charles 
 runs immediately before the house, and on this river 
 Harriet Hosmer had a boat-house, containing a safe, 
 broad boat, and a fragile, poetical-looking gondola, 
 with silvered prow, the delight of her heart, and the 
 terror of her less experienced and unswimming friends. 
 
358 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 The life of the young girl was at this period full of 
 earnest purpose and noble ambition, and the untiring 
 energy and perseverance which distinguish her now 
 in so remarkable a degree were at this time evidenced 
 and developed. 
 
 Having modeled one or two copies from the antique, 
 she next tried her hand on a portrait-bust, and then 
 cut Canova's bust of Napoleon in marble, working it 
 entirely with her own hands that she might make her- 
 self mistress of the process. Her father, seeing her 
 devoted to her studies, seconded them in every possi- 
 ble way, and proposed to send her to his friend, Dr. 
 M'Dowell, Professor of Anatomy in the St. Louis Col- 
 lege, that she might go through a course of regular 
 instruction, and be thus thoroughly grounded for the 
 branch of art she had chosen. The young artist was 
 but too glad to close with the offer ; and, in the au- 
 tumn of 1850, we find her at St. Louis, residing in the 
 family of her favorite schoolmate from Lenox, win- 
 ning the hearts of all its members by her frank, joy- 
 ous nature, and steady application, and securing, in 
 the head of it, what she heartily and energetically 
 calls "the best friend I ever had." 
 
 Her independence of manner and character, joined 
 to the fact of her entering the college as a student, 
 could not fail to bring down animadversion, and many 
 were the tales fabricated and circulated anent the 
 young New Englander, who was said to carry pistols 
 in her belt, and to be prepared to take the life of any 
 one who interfered with her. It was, perhaps, no dis- 
 advantage, under the circumstances, to be protected 
 by such a character. The college stood some way 
 from the inhabited part of the town, and in early 
 morning and late evening, going to and fro with the 
 
HARRIET HOSMER. 359 
 
 other students, it is not impossible that she owed the 
 perfect impunity with which she set conventionality 
 at defiance to the character for courage, and skill in 
 the use of fire-arms which attended her. 
 
 Dr. M 'Do well, charmed with the talent and earnest- 
 ness of his pupil, afforded her every facility in his 
 power, giving her the freedom of the college at all 
 times, and occasionally bestowing upon her a private 
 lecture when she attended to see him preparing dis- 
 sections for the public ones. Pleasant and encourag- 
 ing it is to find men of ability and eminence so will- 
 ing to help a woman when she is willing to help her- 
 self. The career of this young artist hitherto has been 
 marked by the warm and generous encouragement of 
 first-rate men, from Professor M'Dowell to John Gib- 
 son, and pleasant it is to find the affectionate and 
 grateful appreciation of such kindness, converting the 
 temporary tie of master and pupil into the permanent 
 one of tried and valued friendship. "I remember 
 Professor M'Dowell," writes Miss Hosmer, " with great 
 affection and gratitude, as being a most thorough and 
 patient teacher, as well as at all times a good, kind 
 friend." 
 
 Through the winter and spring of 1851, in fact, 
 during the whole term, Harriet Hosmer prosecuted 
 her studies with unremitting zeal and attention, and 
 at the close was presented with a " diploma," or cer- 
 tificate, testifying to her anatomical efficiency. During 
 her stay at St. Louis, and as a testimony of her grati- 
 tude and regard, Miss Hosmer cut, from a bust of Pro- 
 fessor M'Dowell by Clevenger, a medallion in marble, 
 life size, which is now in the museum of the College. 
 It is perhaps worthy of note that Clevenger and Pow- 
 ers both studied anatomy under this professor. 
 
360 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 The "diploma" achieved, our young aspirant was 
 bent upon seeing New Orleans before returning to her 
 New England home. It was a season of the year not 
 favorable for such travel, and, from some cause or an- 
 other, she failed in inducing any of her friends to ac- 
 company her. To will and to do are synonymous 
 with some; and so, Harriet Hosmer having set her 
 mind upon an excursion down the Mississippi to the 
 Crescent City, embarked herself one fine morning on 
 board a steamer bound for New Orleans. The river 
 was shallow, the navigation difficult ; many a boat did 
 our adventurous traveler pass high and dry ; but for- 
 tune, as usual, was with her, and she reached her des- 
 tination in safety. The weather was intensely warm, 
 but, nothing daunted, our young friend saw all that 
 was to be seen, returning at night to sleep on board 
 the steamer as it lay in its place by the levee, and, at 
 the expiration of a week, returning with it to St. Louis. 
 Arrived there, instead of rejoining her friends, she 
 took boat for the Falls of St. Anthony, on the Upper 
 Mississippi, stopping, on the way, at Dubuque, to visit 
 a lead mine, into which she descended by means of a 
 bucket, and came very near an accident which must 
 inevitably have resulted fatally ; a catastrophe which, 
 as no one knew where she was, would probably have 
 remained a secret forever. At the Falls of St. An- 
 thony, she went among the Indians, much to their 
 surprise and amusement, and brought away with her 
 a pipe, presented by the chief, in token of amity. She 
 also achieved the ascent of a mountain never before 
 undertaken by a female; and so delighted were the 
 spectators with her courage and agility, that they in- 
 sisted upon knowing her name, that the mountain 
 might thenceforth be called after her. In a subsequent 
 
HAEEIET HOSMER. 361 
 
 visit to St. Louis, Miss Hosmer found that her rustic 
 admirers had been as good as their word, and "Hos- 
 mer's Height" remains an evidence of "the little 
 lady's" ambition and courage. 
 
 On her return to St. Louis, where her prolonged ab- 
 sence had created no little uneasiness, she remained 
 but a short time, and, bidding farewell to her kind 
 friends, retraced her steps homeward. 
 
 This was in the autumn of 1851. No sooner had 
 Harriet Hosmer reached home than she set to work to 
 model an ideal bust of Hesper, continuing her ana- 
 tomical studies with her cousin, and employing her in- 
 tervals of leisure and rest in reading, riding, and boat- 
 ing. Now followed a period of earnest work, cheered 
 and inspired by those visions of success, of purpose 
 fulfilled, of high aims realized, which haunt the young 
 and enthusiastic aspirant, and throw a halo round the 
 youthful days of genius, lending a color to the whole 
 career. As Lowell wisely and poetically says, 
 
 " Great dreams preclude low ends." 
 
 Better to aspire and fail than not aspire at all ; better 
 to know the dream, and the fever, and the awakening, 
 if it must be, than to pass from the cradle to the grave 
 on the level plane of content with things as they are. 
 There may be aspiration without genius ; there can 
 not be genius without aspiration; and where genius 
 is backed by industry and perseverance, the aspiration 
 of one period will meet its realization in another. 
 
 To go to Eome to make herself acquainted with 
 all its treasures of art, ancient and modern to study 
 and work as the masters of both periods had studied 
 and worked before her this was now our youthful 
 artist's ambition ; and all the while she labored, heart 
 and soul, at Hesper, the first creation of her genius, 
 
 Q 
 
362 WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 watching its growth beneath, her hand, as a young 
 mother watches, step by step, the progress of her first- 
 born ; kneading in with the plastic clay all those thou- 
 sand hopes and fears which, turn by turn, charm and 
 agitate all who aspire. At length, the clay model fin- 
 ished, a block of marble was sought and found, and 
 brought home to the shed in the garden, hitherto ap- 
 propriated to dissecting purposes, but now fitted up as 
 a studio. Here, with her own small hands, the youth- 
 ful maiden, short of stature and delicate in make, any 
 thing but robust in health, with chisel and mallet 
 blocked out the bust, and subsequently, with rasp and 
 file, finished it to the last degree of manipulative per- 
 fection. Months and months it took, and hours and 
 days of quiet toil and patience ; but those wings of 
 genius, perseverance and industry, ware hers, and love 
 lent zest to the work. It was late summer in 1852 
 before Hesper was fully completed. 
 
 A critic in the New York Tribune thus wrote of 
 this work : 
 
 " It has the face of a lovely maiden, gently falling 
 asleep with the sound of distant music. Her hair is 
 gracefully arranged, and intertwined with capsules of 
 the poppy. A star shines on her forehead, and under 
 her breast lies the crescent moon. The hush of even- 
 ing breathes from the serene countenance and the 
 heavily-drooping eyelids. . . . The swell of the 
 cheeks and the bust is like pure, young, healthy flesh, 
 and the muscles of the beautiful mouth are so deli- 
 cately cut, it seems like a thing that breathes. 
 
 " The poetic conception of the subject is the crea- 
 tion of her own mind, and the embodiment of it is all 
 done by her own hands even the hard, rough, me- 
 chanical portions of the work. She employed a man 
 
HARRIET HOSMER. 363 
 
 to chop off some large bits of marble ; but, as lie was 
 unaccustomed to assist sculptors, she did not venture 
 to have him cut within several inches of the surface 
 she intended to work." 
 
 "Now," said she to her father, "I am ready to go 
 to Eome." 
 
 "And you shall go, my child, this very autumn," 
 was the reply. 
 
 Anxious as Dr. Hosmer was to facilitate in every 
 way the career his daughter had chosen, there was yet 
 another reason for going to Italy before winter set in. 
 Study and nervous anxiety had made their impression 
 upon a naturally delicate constitution, and a short, 
 dry cough alarmed the worthy doctor for his child's 
 health. 
 
 October of 1852 saw father and daughter on their 
 way to Europe, the St. Louis diploma and daguerreo- 
 types of Hesper being carefully stowed away in the 
 safest corner of the portmanteau as evidences of what 
 the young artist had already achieved, when, arrived 
 at Kome, she should seek the instruction of one of two 
 masters, whose fame, world- wide, alone could satisfy 
 our aspirant's ambition. So eager was her desire to 
 reach Eome that a week only was given to England ; 
 and then, joining some friends in Paris, the whole 
 party proceeded to Kome, arriving in the Eternal City 
 on the evening of November 12, 1852. 
 
 "Within two days the daguerreotypes were placed in 
 the hands of Mr. Gibson as he sat at breakfast in the 
 Cafe Greco, a famous place of resort for artists. 
 
 Now be it known, as a caution to women not to 
 enter lightly upon any career, to throw it up as lightly 
 upon the first difficulty which arises, that a prejudice 
 existed in Eome against lady artists, from the preten- 
 
36-i WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 sions with which some had repaired thither, and upon 
 which they had succeeded in gaining access to some 
 of the best studios and instruction from their masters, 
 to throw those valuable opportunities aside at the first 
 obstacle that arose. Mr. Gibson had himself, it was 
 said, been thus victimized and annoyed, and it was rep- 
 resented to Miss Hosmer as doubtful in the extreme if 
 he would either look at the daguerreotypes or listen to 
 the proposal of her becoming his pupil. However, 
 the daguerreotypes were placed before him ; and, tak- 
 ing them into his hands one presenting a full, and 
 the other a profile view of the bust he sat some mo- 
 ments in silence, looking intently at them. Encour- 
 aged by this, the young sculptor who had undertaken 
 to present them proceeded to explain Miss Hosmer's 
 intentions and wishes, what she had already done, and 
 what she hoped to do. Still Mr. Gibson remained si- 
 lent. Finally, closing the cases, 
 
 " Send the young lady to me," said he, " and what- 
 ever I know, and can teach her, she shall learn." 
 
 In less than a week Harriet Hosmer was fairly in- 
 stalled in Mr. Gibson's studio, in the up-stairs room 
 already described. Ere long a truly paternal and filial 
 affection sprung up between the master and the pupil, 
 a source of great happiness to themselves, and of pleas- 
 ure and amusement to all who know and value them, 
 from the curious likeness, yet unlikeness, which ex- 
 isted from the first in Miss Hosmer to Mr. Gibson, and 
 which daily intercourse has not tended to lessen. 
 
 In one of her letters she says : 
 
 " The dearest wish of my heart is gratified in that 
 I am acknowledged by Gibson as a pupil. He has 
 been resident in Eome thirty -four years, and leads the 
 van. I am greatly in luck. He has just finished the 
 
HAREIET HOSMER. 365 
 
 model of the statue of the queen, and, as his room is 
 vacant, he permits me to use it, and I am now in his 
 own studio. I have also a little room for work which 
 was formerly occupied by Canova, and perhaps inspi- 
 ration may be drawn from the walls." 
 
 The first winter in Kome was passed in modeling 
 from the antique, Mr. Gibson desiring to assure him- 
 self of the correctness of Miss Hosmer's eye, and the 
 soundness of her knowledge; Hesper evincing the 
 possession of the imaginative and creative power. 
 From the first, Mr. Gibson expressed himself more 
 than satisfied with her power of imitating the round- 
 ness and softness of flesh, saying, upon one occasion, 
 that he had never seen it surpassed and not often 
 equaled. 
 
 Her first attempt at original design in Eome was a 
 bust of Daphne, quickly succeeded by another of the 
 Medusa the beautiful Medusa and a lovely thing it 
 is, faultless in form, and intense in its expression of 
 horror and agony, without trenching on the physical- 
 ly painful. 
 
 We have already spoken of the warm friend Miss 
 Hosmer made for herself during her winter at St. 
 Louis, in the head of the family at whose house she 
 was a guest. This gentleman, as a God-speed to the 
 young artist on her journey to Home, sent her, on the 
 eve of departure, an order to a large amount for the 
 first figure she should model, leaving her entirely free 
 to select her own time and subject. A statue of CEnone 
 was the result, which is now in the house of Mr. Crow, 
 at St. Louis, and which gave such satisfaction to its 
 possessor and his fellow-townsmen, that an order was 
 forwarded to Miss Hosmer for a statue for the Public 
 Library at St. Louis, on the same liberal terms. Bea- 
 
366 WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 trice Cenci, which has won so many golden opinions 
 from critics and connoisseurs, was sent to St. Louis in 
 fulfillment of this order. 
 
 The summers in Kome are, as every one knows, 
 trying to the natives, and full of danger to foreigners. 
 Dr. Hosmer, having seen his daughter finally settled, 
 returned to America, leaving her with strict injunc- 
 tions to seek some salubrious spot in the neighboring 
 mountains for the summer, if indeed she did not go 
 into Switzerland or England. Eome, however, was 
 the centre of attraction ; and, after the first season, 
 which was spent at Sorrento, on the Bay of Naples, 
 Miss Hosmer could not be prevailed upon to go out 
 of sight and reach of its lordly dome and noble treas- 
 ures of art. The third summer came, and, listening 
 to the advice of her friends,, and in obedience to the 
 express wish of her father, she made arrangements for 
 a visit to England. The day was settled, the trunks 
 were packed ; she was on the eve of departure, when 
 a letter from America arrived, informing her of heavy 
 losses sustained by her father, which must necessitate 
 retrenchment in every possible way, a surrender of 
 her career in Eome, and an immediate return home. 
 
 The news came upon her like a thunderbolt. Stun- 
 ned and bewildered, she knew not at the moment what 
 to do. An only child, and hitherto indulged in every 
 whim and caprice, the position was indeed startling 
 and perplexing. The surrender of her art-career was 
 the only thing which she felt to be impossible ; what- 
 ever else might come, that could not, should not be. 
 And now came into play that true independence of 
 character which hitherto had shown itself mostly in 
 wild freaks and tricks. Instead of falling back upon 
 those friends whose means she knew would be at her 
 
HAEEIET HOSMER. 367 
 
 disposal in this emergency, she dispatched a messenger 
 for the young sculptor who had shown the daguerreo- 
 types to Mr. Gibson, and who, himself dependent upon 
 his professional exertions, was, she decided, the fittest 
 person to consult with as to her own future career. 
 He obeyed the hasty summons, and found the joyous, 
 laughing countenance he had always known, pale and 
 changed, as it were, suddenly, from that of a young 
 girl to a woman full of cares and anxieties. He could 
 scarcely credit the intelligence ; but the letter was ex- 
 plicit ; the summons home peremptory. " Go, I will 
 not," was her only coherent resolution ; so the two laid 
 their heads together. Miss Hosmer was the owner of 
 a handsome horse and an expensive English saddle ; 
 these were doomed at once. The summer in Eome 
 itself, during which season living there costs next to 
 nothing, was determined upon ; and during those sum- 
 mer months Miss Hosmer should model something so 
 attractive that it should insure a speedy order, and, ex- 
 ercising strict economy, start thenceforth on an inde- 
 pendent artist-career, such as many of those around 
 her with less talent and training, managed to carry on 
 with success. No sooner said than done ; the. trunks 
 were unpacked ; the friends she had been about to ac- 
 company departed without her ; her father's reverses 
 were simply and straightforwardly announced, and 
 she entered at once on the line of industry and econ- 
 omy she and her friend had struck out. 
 
 It is said that friendship between a young man and 
 a young woman is scarcely possible, and perhaps, un- 
 der ordinary circumstances, where the woman has no 
 engrossing interests of her own, no definite aim and 
 pursuit in life, it may be so. Here, however, was a 
 case of genuine and helpful friendship, honorable alike 
 
368 WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 to the heads and hearts of both. Under the experi- 
 enced direction of her friend, Miss Hosmer conducted 
 her affairs with prudence and economy, and, at the 
 same time, with due regard to health. The summer 
 passed away, and neither fever nor any other form of 
 mischief attacked our young friend. She worked 
 hard, and modeled a statue of Puck, so full of spirit, 
 originality, and fun, that it was no sooner finished 
 than orders to put it into marble came in. It was re- 
 peated again and again, and, during the succeeding 
 winter, three copies were ordered for England alone 
 one for the Duke of Hamilton. Thus fairly started 
 on her own ground, Miss Hosmer met with that suc- 
 cess which talent, combined with industry and ener- 
 gy, never fails to command. 
 
 The winter in which the Cenci was being put into 
 marble she was engaged in modeling a monument to 
 the memory of a beautiful young Catholic lady, des- 
 tined for a niche in the church of San Andreo delle 
 Fratte, in the Yia Mercede, close upon the Piazza di 
 Spagna. A portrait full-length figure of the young 
 girl, life size, reclines upon a low couch. The attitude 
 is easy .and natural, and the tranquil sleep of death is 
 admirably rendered in contradistinction to the warm 
 sleep of life in the Cenci. 
 
 Miss Hosmer was engaged during the winter of 
 1858 in modeling a fountain, for which she has taken 
 the story of Hylas descending for water, when, accord- 
 ing to mythology, he is seized upon by the water- 
 nymphs and drowned. Hylas forms the crown of the 
 pyramid, while the nymphs twined around its base, 
 with extended arms, seek to drag him down into the 
 water below, where dolphins are spouting jets which 
 
HARRIET HOSMER, 
 
 369 
 
 interlace each, other. A double basin, the upper one 
 supported by swans, receives the cascade. 
 
 During the spring of 1859 Miss Hosmer worked 
 upon her statue of Zenobia, bespoken in America. 
 The young Prince of Wales visited her studio to see 
 this unfinished work, which he greatly admired. He 
 purchased a " Puck," by her hand, to add to his collec- 
 tion. Miss Hosmer executed, as a side-piece to this, 
 a " Will-o'-the-Wisp," said even to be superior. 
 
 Library. ) 
 
 Of 
 
 CklifornU- 
 
 ; 
 
NAMES OF WOMEN ARTIST^. 
 
 Abarca, Donna Maria de 
 
 Agues, Abbess of Quedlin- 
 
 berg 
 
 Airola, Angelica Veronica ... 
 
 Aizelin, Madame 
 
 Alboni, Rosa 
 
 Alfieri, Carlotta Melania 
 
 Alloin, Mademoiselle 
 
 Amalasuntha 
 
 Amherst, Lady 
 
 Anaxandra 
 
 Andross, Miss 
 
 Angelica 
 
 Anguisciola, Anna Maria .... 
 
 Europa 
 
 Helena...., 
 
 Lucia 
 
 Minerva 
 
 Sofonisba 
 
 Anna Amalia, of Brunswick.. 
 Anna, Princess of Orange.... 
 
 Anzon, Madame 203, 
 
 Ardinghelli, Maria Angela... 
 
 Ardoino, Anna Maria 
 
 Aristarite 
 
 Armani, Vincenza 
 
 Aromatari, Dorothea 
 
 Aumont, Augustine 
 
 Ava 
 
 Aveiro, Duchess of 
 
 B. 
 
 Badger, Mrs 
 
 Ballain, Nanine 
 
 Basseporte, Madeleine Fran- 
 
 9oise 
 
 Beale, Mary 
 
 Beauclerk, Lady Diana 
 
 Beaurepas, Madame de 
 
 Beckson, Miss 
 
 Beer, Maria Eugenia de 
 
 Beinaschi, Angela 
 
 Bejar, Duchess of. 
 
 pAGBJBell, Miss 190 
 
 86Benavides, Maria Cueva 87 
 
 Bennings, Liewina 57 
 
 29Benoit, Madame 203 
 
 82Benwell, Mary 188 
 
 239 Bernasconi, Laura 80 
 
 225 Bertaud, Marie Rosalie 204 
 
 225 Blackwell, Elizabeth 190 
 
 240 Blanchot, Genevieve 201 
 
 28 Block, Joanna Koerten 126 
 
 186 Boccherini, Anna 224 
 
 26Bohren, Mademoiselle 138 
 
 170Boizot, Louise Adelaide 204 
 
 86Bonheur, Julietta 275 
 
 48 " Rosa 261 
 
 51 Borghini, Maria 79 
 
 48 Bosenbacher, Mary Anna .... 240 
 
 51 Breughel, Anna 97 
 
 48Brizio, Plautilla 80 
 
 49 Broeck, Barbara Van den.... 58 
 136 Brossard, Marie Genevieve... 202 
 
 167Brun, Eugenie 237 
 
 237 Brusasorci, Cecilia 55 
 
 225Bruyere, Madame 203 
 
 79 Bruyn, Anna de 97 
 
 26Burini, Barbara 225 
 
 45Butlar, Madame von 237 
 
 55 
 239 c - 
 
 28 Caballero, Angela Perez 89 
 
 86 Caccia, Francesca 82 
 
 " Ursula 82 
 
 Caffa, Maria la 83 
 
 316 Calavrese, Maria 42 
 
 236 Callirhoe 24 
 
 Calypso 26 
 
 202 Cantofoli, Ginevra 72 
 
 123 Cantoni, Caterina 55 
 
 187|Capet, Madame 203 
 
 190! Carasquilla, Isabella 88 
 
 190Carlisle, Anna 122 
 
 86 " Countess of 122 
 
 78 Carpenter, Mrs 244 
 
 86 Camera, Rosalba 226 
 
372 
 
 NAMES OF WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 Casalina, Lucia 82, 225 
 
 Cassana, Maria Vittoria 82 Du Pre, Julia 342 
 
 Caxton, Florence.... 244 
 
 Chalon, Christina 167 
 
 Chapin, Mrs 288 
 
 Charlotte of Austria 136 
 
 Charlotte Matilda, Queen of 
 Wurtemberg 186 
 
 Charpentier, Madame 203 Elizabeth of Austria 226 
 
 Constance Marie 236 
 
 Cheron, Elizabeth Sophie 90 
 
 Cherubini, Caterina 224 
 
 Cheves, Charlotte 344 
 
 Cirene 26 
 
 Cleyn, Penelope 122 
 
 " Magdalen 122 
 
 " Sarah 122 
 
 Coello, Isabella Sanchez 86 
 
 Cole, Sarah 295 
 
 Collot, Mademoiselle 201 
 
 Cooper, Ellen 344 
 
 Copomazza, Luisa 78 Fauveau, Felicie de 
 
 Corbeaux, Fanny 243 Festa, Bianca 
 
 Coriolani, Maria' Teresa 73 
 
 Cosway, Maria 191 
 
 Coulet, Anne Philibert 204 
 
 Crabbe, Anna 121 
 
 Creti, Ersilia 73 
 
 Criscuolo, Maria Angela 55 
 
 D. 
 
 Ducluzeau, Madame 239 
 
 Duquesnoy, Mademoiselle.... 202 
 Durand, Flavia 65 
 
 E. 
 
 Eimart, Maria Clara 114 
 
 Elie, Madame 236 
 
 Elizabeth Christina of Bruns- 
 wick 
 
 13G 
 Elizabeth Ernestine Antonia, 
 
 of Saxe-Meiningen 136 
 
 Elizabeth, Princess 186 
 
 " Princess of Parma 226 
 
 Ellenrieder, Maria 241 
 
 Eyck, Margaretta von 34 
 
 F. 
 
 Fanshawe, Catharine Mary... 190 
 
 Farnese, Isabella .".... 89 
 
 247 
 224 
 
 Matilda 224 
 
 Fiesca, Helen 47 
 
 Tommasa 47 
 
 Fischer, Anna Catharina 114 
 
 " Susannah 114 
 
 Fitzgerald, Lady E 170 
 
 Lady Henry 186 
 
 Foley, Margaret 287 
 
 Darner, Anne Seymour 170 Fontaine, Madame 239 
 
 Damini, Damina 81 
 
 Fontana, Lavinia 61 
 
 Danti, Teodora 43 Fontana, Veronica 73 
 
 Dards, Mrs 1 89 j Forestier, Marie Anne Julie. . 236 
 
 Dassel, Herminie 312lForgue, Apollonia de 232 
 
 Davin, Madame 201, 236!Fratellini, Giovanna 83 
 
 Delany, Mrs 186!Freeman, Anna Mary 342 
 
 Denning, Charlotte 287jFreiberg, Baroness Ton 241 
 
 Deverzy, Adrienno Marie .... 237jFriedrich, Caroline Frederika 142 
 
 Dietrich, Maria Dorothea.... HLFuessli (Fuseli), Anna 142 
 
 " Elizabeth... 142 
 
 Rosina 143 
 
 Dietsch Sisters 141 
 
 Dolce, Agnes 73 
 
 " Maria 73 
 
 Fiirst, Magdalena 114 
 
 G. 
 
 Dolora, Anna Victoria 225 Gabassi, Margerita ; 
 
 Domenici, Maria 81, 83 Gabion, Jeanne Elizabeth .... 237 
 
 Dorsch, Susannah Maria 138 Galeotti, Anna 224 
 
 Drax, Miss 190|Galizia, Fede 60 
 
 Drolling, Louise Adeone 237!Garri, Colomba 225 
 
 Dubois, Mrs. Cornelius 297jGarzoni, Giovanna 82 
 
 Duchemin, Catherine 90 Gauthier, Elizabeth 201 
 
NAMES OF WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 373 
 
 Gentilesca, Sofonisba..., 
 
 Gentileschi, Artemisia 
 
 Gerard, Madame 
 
 " Marguerite 
 
 " Susannah 
 
 Ghisi, Diana 
 
 Gibson, Susannah Penelope.. 
 
 Gilarte, Magdalena 
 
 Ginnassi, Caterina 
 
 Giovannini, Bianca 
 
 Glauber, Diana 
 
 Godefroy, Eleonore 
 
 " Madame 
 
 Godewyck, Margaretta 
 
 Gois, Madame 
 
 Goldbeck, Madame 
 
 Goodrich, Mrs 
 
 Gove, Miss 
 
 Grace, Mrs 
 
 Granbury, Miss 
 
 Grandi, Paolina 
 
 Grassi, Niccola 
 
 Gray, Miss 
 
 Greatorex, Mrs 
 
 Grebber, Maria 
 
 Greuze, Anna Gabrielle 
 
 Greville, Lady Louisa de 
 
 Guadalupe, Maria de. 
 
 Guillemard, Sophie 
 
 H. 
 
 Hall, Anne 
 
 Hamerani, Beatrice 
 
 Hamsen, Catherine 
 
 Hartley, Miss 
 
 Hawthorne, Mrs 
 
 Hay, Mrs. Benham 
 
 Hayd, Marianna 
 
 Hedwig, Sophie, Princess.... 
 
 Heere, Margaret de 
 
 Heinecke, Catharina Eliza- 
 beth 
 
 Helena 
 
 Herault, Antoinette 
 
 " Madelaine 
 
 " Marie Catherine.... 
 
 Herbalin, Madame 
 
 Heylan, Anna 
 
 Hildegardis 
 
 Hildreth, Mrs 
 
 Hill, Mrs 
 
 Hoadley, Mrs 
 
 TAGEJ PAGE 
 
 55 Hoffmann, Elizabeth 97 
 
 G(> Hogenhuizen, Elizabeth Geor- 
 
 202 
 201 
 57 
 43 
 121 
 87 
 65 
 225 
 115 
 237 
 201 
 98 
 202 
 342 
 287 
 316 
 189 
 316 
 81 
 80 
 190 
 316 
 97 
 202 
 186 
 86 
 237 
 
 299 
 80 
 57 
 189 
 316 
 244 
 140 
 121 
 57 
 
 141 
 26 
 90 
 90 
 201 
 240 
 87 
 28 
 315 
 316 
 189 
 
 
 168 
 115 
 
 185 
 203 
 349 
 244 
 28 
 222 
 287 
 57 
 
 57 
 
 239 
 241 
 345 
 78 
 113 
 
 26 
 144 
 57 
 124 
 104 
 24 
 241 
 203 
 114 
 114 
 114 
 
 188 
 237 
 237 
 27 
 239 
 114 
 326 
 114 
 190 
 30 
 190 
 27 
 81 
 206 
 203 
 
 
 Hoppner, Mrs 
 
 Hortemels, Mary Magdalen.. 
 Hosmer, Harriet 
 
 Howitt, Miss 
 
 Hroswitha 
 
 Hueva, Barbara Maria de.... 
 Hughes, Mrs. Ball 
 
 Hurembout, Susannah . 
 
 I. 
 Iberg, Eva von 
 
 J. 
 Jacotot, Madame 
 
 Jericho w-Baumann, Madame 
 Johnson, Mary Ann 
 
 
 Juvenel, Esther 
 
 K. 
 Kallo 
 
 
 Keyzer, Clara de 
 
 Killegrew, Anne 
 
 Koher, Anna de 
 
 Kor a 
 
 Krafft, Barbara 
 
 
 Kusel, Christina 
 
 " Johanna Sibylla 
 
 " Magdalena. ... 
 
 L. 
 
 Lafond, Aurore Etienne 
 
 Lafontaine Rosalie de... 
 
 Lala 
 
 Lamartine, Madame de 
 
 
 Lander, Louisa 
 
 Lange, Barbara Helena 
 Langley Betty 
 
 
 Lawrence Mary 
 
 Lava ... 
 
 
 Le Brun, Elizabeth . 
 
 Leconte, Marguerite ... 
 
374 
 
 NAMES OF WOMEN AKTISTS. 
 
 Ledotix, Philiberte , 
 
 Lee, Anna 
 
 Legare, Mary Swinton , 
 
 Legris, Amelie , 
 
 Lenoir, Madame 
 
 Leroulx, Madame 
 
 Lescaille, Catharina 
 
 Leslie, Ann , 
 
 Lesueur, Elise 
 
 Linwood, Miss 
 
 Liscewska, Anna Rosina 
 
 Lister, Anna 
 
 " Susannah , 
 
 Liszeuska, Anna Dorothea.. 
 
 Lodde, Alexia de 
 
 Longhi, Barbara 
 
 Losa, Isabella 
 
 Lucan, Countess of 
 
 Lupton, Mrs 
 
 M. 
 
 Mackintosh, Sarah 
 
 Manzolini, Anna 
 
 Maratti, Maria 
 
 Margaretta 
 
 Margravine of Baden -Dur- 
 
 lach 
 
 Maria Anna, of Austria 
 
 Marie d'Orleans 
 
 Marmochini, Giovanna 
 
 Martin, Miss 
 
 Masson, Madelaine 
 
 Matteis, Emmanuela 
 
 " Felice 
 
 " Maria Angiola 
 
 May, Miss 
 
 " Caroline 
 
 Mayer, Constance 
 
 Mazzoni, Isabella 
 
 Medici, Mary del 
 
 Memorata, Anna 
 
 Menendez, Anna 
 
 " Clara 
 
 Mengs, Anna Maria 
 
 Menu, Dorothea 
 
 Merian, Maria Sibylla 
 
 Merrifield, Miss 
 
 Messieri, Anna Teresia 
 
 Metz, Gertrude 
 
 Micas, Mademoiselle 
 
 Michaud, Madame 
 
 Mills, Mrs. Monckton 
 
 PAGE! PAGE 
 
 236 ! Mirbel, Comtesse de ., 239 
 
 190 Mirnaux 203 
 
 SOlMogalli, Teresa 224 
 
 239 Mongez, Angelique 236 
 
 237 Montferrier, Louise de 237 
 
 236 Monti, Eleonora 225 
 
 97Morata, Fulvia 112 
 
 294 More, Mary 122 
 
 201Moritz, Anna 168 
 
 190Morland, Miss 190 
 
 HOMoser, Mary 181 
 
 122 Muratori, Teresa 73 
 
 122 Murray, Elizabeth 244 
 
 143 " Mary 28(5 
 
 165Mutrie, Miss 240 
 
 47 Myin, Cornelia van der 168 
 
 56 Myn, Agatha van der 188 
 
 187 
 
 286 N. 
 
 Natali, Madalena 65 
 
 Naugis, Genevieve 203 
 
 287Neal, Elizabeth 190 
 
 225Nelli, PlautUla 30, 42 
 
 225 Noel, Miss 190 
 
 35Nohren, Mademoiselle 139 
 
 Nymegen, Susanna Maria.... 168 
 
 136 
 136 
 
 238 
 
 O. 
 
 Oakley, Juliana 316 
 
 79O'Connell, Madame 95 
 
 190 Oever, Alberta ten 168 
 
 93 Ogle, Miss 170 
 
 225O'Hara, Miss 287 
 
 225 Olympias 26 
 
 225 Ommegank, Maria Jacoba ... 168 
 
 315 Oosterwy ck, Maria van 104 
 
 316 Oostfries, Catharine 104 
 
 236 Oppendorf, Countess von 141 
 
 42 Ozanne, Jane Frances 90 
 
 " Mary Ann 90 
 
 79 
 112 
 222 
 
 P. 
 
 222 Paar, Princess Anna 1 
 
 140 Pakman, Angelica Agnes 97, 104 
 
 138 Palladini, Arcangela 60, 79 
 
 116 Palomino, Francisca 87 
 
 244 Panzacchi, Maria Helena 73 
 
 225 Pappafava, Beatrice 60 
 
 142Parasole, Hieronima 80 
 
 282 " Isabella 80 
 
 203 Parenti-Duclos, Anna 224 
 
 244Pasch, Ulrica Frederika 1G5 
 
NAMES OF WOMEN AETISTS. 
 
 375 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Passe, Magdalen de 58 Robert, Fanny 237 
 
 Patin, Carlotta 81!Robineau, Claire 237 
 
 " Gabriella 8l|Robusti, Marietta 45 
 
 Pazzi, Caterina de' 55 Eodiana, Onorata 3G 
 
 Peale, Anna C 288 Roldan, Luisa 87 
 
 " Mrs. Rembrandt 294 Ronde, Lucrece Catherine de 
 
 " Rosalba 294 la 201 
 
 " Sarah M 291, 293 Rosa, Amelia di 75 
 
 Pellegrini, Ludovica 55 (Rose, Susan Penelope 122 
 
 Pepyn, Catherine 95 Rosee, Mademoiselle 126 
 
 Perez, Anna 222JRoss, Elizabeth 138 
 
 Perrot, Catherine OOjliossi, Properzia di 39 
 
 Peters, Clara 103jRusca, Caterina 60, 83 
 
 Pflauder, Rosina 138 IRuysch, Rachel 106 
 
 Pfrundt, Anna Maria 1 14 JRyberg, Elizabeth 168 
 
 Piccini, Isabella 79jRyding, C. M 165 
 
 Pinelli, Antonia 65 Ryk, Cornelia de 167 
 
 Pisani, Livia 224 
 
 Planteau, Madame 286 S. 
 
 Platt, Mrs 185 Salmeggia, Chiara 83 
 
 Po, Teresa del 65, 78 Salviani, Rosalba Maria 224 
 
 Pompadour, Madame dc 93 Salvioni, Rosalba 88 
 
 Pozzo, Isabella dal 63 Samon, Mrs 170 
 
 Preisler, Anna Felicitas 139 Sanchez, Jesualda 87 
 
 " Barbara Julia 139 Sandrart, Susannah Maria 
 
 " Helen 114 von 113 
 
 " Maria Anna 139 Sanniento, Teresa 86 
 
 Prestel, Maria Catharine 189 Sartori, Felicita 232 
 
 Preu, Joanna Sabina 114 Sattler, Caroline 202 
 
 Prieto, Maria 222 Saville, Lady Dorothea 186 
 
 " Maria de Loreto 88 Saxe-Meiningen, Princess of.. 240 
 
 Pro vis, Anna Jemima 189 Scaligeri, Agnes 83 
 
 " Lucia 83* 
 
 Q- Scarafaglia, Lucrezia 72 
 
 Quatrepomme, Isabella 56 Schalken, Maria 98 
 
 Querubini, Caterina 89 Scheffer, Caroline 168 
 
 Questier, Catharina 99 Schild, Charlotte Rebecca.... 138 
 
 Schott, Crescentia 138 
 
 B Schroeter, Caroline von 242 
 
 Raimondi, Madame 43 Schurmann, Anna Maria 99 
 
 Rastrum, Margaretta 115 Schwartz, Catherine 57 
 
 Ravemann, Madame 115 Schwindel, Rosa Elizabeth... 138 
 
 Rayner, Louisa 244 Seghers, Anna 57 
 
 Read, Catherine, 190 Seidler, Louise Caroline 241 
 
 Redi, Giovanna 79 Siddons, Mrs 170 
 
 Renieri, Anna 81 Silva, Maria de 222 
 
 Reyschoot, Anna Maria von.. 165 Silvestre, Susanna 203 
 
 Rialto, Domenia Luisa 81 Simanowitz, Ludovika 240 
 
 Ricchi, Ciena 78 Simes, Mary Jane 293 
 
 Riedel, Maria Theresa 143 Simons, Maria Elizabeth 168 
 
 Rieger, Maria J.14 Sirani, Anna Maria , 72 
 
 Rite, Isabel Maria 223 " Barbara 72 
 
376 
 
 NAMES OF WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 Sirani, Elisabetta 
 
 Siries, Violanta Beatrice 
 
 Siscara, Angelica 
 
 Skeysers, Clara 
 
 Smirke, Miss 
 
 Smith, Barbara Leigh 
 
 " Elizabeth 
 
 Smyters, Anna 57, 
 
 Sonnenschein, Mademoiselle 
 Sophia, Duchess of Coburg- 
 
 Saalfeld 
 
 Sophia, Princess 
 
 Spencer, Countess Lavinia... 
 
 " Lily M 
 
 Spilberg, Adriana 
 
 Spilimberg, Irene di 
 
 Spilsbury, Mary 
 
 Stebbins, Emma 
 
 Steen, Susanna von 
 
 Steenwyk, Madame 
 
 Steinbach, Sabina von 
 
 Stella, Claudine Bonzonnet... 
 
 Stoop, Mariana van der 
 
 Stresor, Henriette 
 
 Stuart, Jane 
 
 Stuntz, Electrine 
 
 St. Urbin, Marie Anne de.... 
 
 Sully, Jane 
 
 Surigny, Madame 
 
 T. 
 
 Tarabotti, Augusta 
 
 " Caterina 
 
 Tardieu, Elizabeth Clara 
 
 Tassaert, Henriette Felicitas 
 
 Temple, Lady 
 
 Terburg, Gezina 
 
 Maria 
 
 Tesi, Teresa 
 
 Tessala, Anna 
 
 Tesselschade-Visscher, Anna 
 " Maria 
 
 Theudelinda 
 
 Thielen, Maria Theresa van.. 
 Tibaldi, Maria Felice.... 222, 
 
 " Teresa 
 
 Timarata 
 
 Tintoretto, Marietta 
 
 Tirlinks, Lewina 
 
 Tischbein, Magdalena 
 
 Torrens, Eliza 
 
 " Eosalba 
 
 PAGE] PAGE 
 
 68|Tott, Countess of 188 
 
 224 Traballesi, Agatha 43 
 
 225Treu, Catharina 141 
 
 57 
 190 
 
 Mary Anna 139 
 
 " Rosalie 139 
 
 244|Trevingard, Anna 190 
 
 170 Triumn, Camilla 83 
 
 188|Triva, Flaminia 60, 65 
 
 240Troost, Sarah 167 
 
 Truchsetz-Waldburg, Count- 
 
 136 ess von 141 
 
 USTussaud, Madame 198 
 
 186 
 
 317 U. 
 
 OSUlefeld, Eleonora Christina.. 121 
 44! " Helena Christina.... 121 
 190 Utrecht, Constantia of ... 58, 104 
 346 
 104 V. 
 
 97 Vajani, Anna Maria 79, 82 
 
 30 Valdes Leal, Luisa 88 
 
 90 " Maria 88 
 
 115 " Maria de 222 
 
 90 Van der Myn, Agatha 188 
 
 315Vandyck, Anna 81 
 
 241 Vanetti, Laura 225 
 
 201 Vanni, Violanta 224 
 
 287Varotari, Chiara 81 
 
 203Vasini, Clarice 225 
 
 Velasco, Francisca Palomino 
 
 y 87 
 
 60Venier, Ippolita 232 
 
 82 Verbruggen, Susanna 104 
 
 203 Verelst, Maria 165 
 
 139Vernet, Fanny 203 
 
 186 Viani, Maria 73 
 
 98 Victoria, of Anhalt-Bernburg 136 
 98Vieira, Catarina 223 
 
 225Vigri, Caterina 35 
 
 97 
 
 VilP Ambrosa, Countess of... 86 
 
 98Villers, Madame 236 
 
 98 Vincent, Adelaide 204 
 
 28 
 
 131 
 224 
 224 
 
 57 
 
 28G 
 
 W. 
 
 Wasser, Anna 129 
 
 Watson, Caroline 189 
 
 25Weis, Madame 138 
 
 45Werbronk, Jacoba 143 
 
 Wermuth, Maria Juliana 338 
 
 240 Weston, Joanna 121 
 
 Mary 
 
 332 
 
 286 Wieslatin, Maria 114 
 
NAMES OF WOMEN ARTISTS. 
 
 377 
 
 PAGE PAGE 
 
 Wilde, Maria de 104 Wright, Mrs 189 
 
 Wildorfer, Maria Elizabeth... 142 " Patience 182 
 
 Wilmot, Mrs 170 Wulfraat, Margaretta 98 
 
 Wilson, Mrs 295 
 
 Withers, the Misses 344 Z. 
 
 Withoos, Alida 103 Zarcillo, Inez 88 
 
 Wolters, Henrietta 167 Ziesenis, Margaretta 165 
 
 Wonders, Micheline 95 Zucchi, Catarina 224 
 
 Woodman, Mrs 316 
 
 THE END. 
 
3 Every Number of Harper's Magazine contains from 20 to 50 pages and 
 from one third to one half more reading than any other in the country. 
 
 HARPER'S MAGAZINE. 
 
 THE Publishers believe that the Ninenteen Volumes of HAMPER'S 
 MAGAZINE now issued contain a larger amount of valuable and at- 
 tractive reading than will be found in any other periodical of the 
 day. The best Serial Tales of the foremost Novelists of the time : 
 LEVERS' "Maurice Tiernay," BULWER LTTTON'S "My Novel," 
 DICKENS'S "Bleak House" and "Little Dorrit," THACKERAY'S 
 "Newcomes" aud "Virginians," have successively appeared in the 
 Magazine simultaneously with their publication in England. The 
 best Tales and Sketches from the Foreign Magazines have been 
 carefully selected, and original contributions have been furnished 
 by CHARLES READE, WILKIE COLLINS, Mrs. GASKELL, Miss MIT- 
 LOCH, and other prominent English writers. 
 
 The larger portion of the Magazine has, however, been devoted 
 to articles upon American topics, furnished by American writers. 
 Contributions have been welcomed from every section of the coun- 
 try ; and in deciding upon their acceptance the Editors have aimed 
 to be governed solely by the intrinsic merits of the articles, irrespect- 
 ive of their authorship. Care has been taken that the Magazine 
 should never become the organ of any local clique in literature, or 
 of any sectional party in politics. 
 
 At no period since the commencement of the Magazine have its 
 literary and artistic resources been more ample and varied ; and the 
 Publishers refer to the contents of the Periodical for the past as the 
 best guarantee for its future claims upon the patronage of the Amer- 
 ican public, 
 
 TEEMS. One Copy for One Year, $3 00 ; Two Copies for One Year, $5 00; 
 Three or more Copies for One Year (each), $2 00; "Harper's Magazine" and 
 "Harper's Weekly," One Year, $4 00. And an Extra Copy, gratis, for every 
 Club of TEN STTBBCBIBEES. 
 
 Clergymen and Teachers supplied at Two DOLLAES a year. The Semi-Anv 
 nual Volumes bound in Cloth, $2 50 each. Muslin Covers, 25 cents each. The 
 Postage upon HABPER'S MAGAZINE must be paid at the Office where it is received. 
 The Postage is Thirty-six Cents a year. 
 
 HARPER & BROTHERS, Publishers, Franklin Square, New York. 
 
HAEPER'S WEEKLY. 
 
 A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION. 
 
 Jamilg 
 
 PRICE FIVE CENTS. 
 
 HARPER'S WEEKLY has now been in existence two years. Dur- 
 ing that period no effort has been spared to make it the best possi- 
 ble Family Paper for the American People, and it is the belief of 
 the Proprietors that, in the peculiar field which it occupies, no ex- 
 isting Periodical can compare with it. 
 
 Every Number of HARPER'S WEEKLY contains all the News of 
 the week, Domestic and Foreign. The completeness of this de- 
 partment is, it is believed, unrivaled in any other weekly publica- 
 tion. Every noteworthy event is profusely and accurately illustrated 
 at the time of its occurrence. And while no expense is spared to 
 procure Original Illustrations, care is taken to lay before the reader 
 every foreign picture which appears to possess general interest. In 
 a word, the Subscriber to HARPER'S WEEKLY may rely upon ob- 
 taining a Pictorial History of the. times in which we live, compiled 
 and illustrated in the most perfect and complete manner possible. 
 It is believed that the Illustrated Biographies alone of which about 
 one hundred and fifty have already been published are worth far 
 more to the reader than the whole cost ot his subscription. 
 
 The literary matter of HARPER'S WEEKLY is supplied by some 
 of the ablest writers in the English language. Every Number con- 
 tains an installment of a serial story by a first-class author BUL- 
 WER'S " What witthe do ivithlt?" has appeared entire in its columns; 
 one or more short Stories, the best that can be purchased at home 
 or abroad ; the best Poetry of the day ; instructive Essays on topics 
 of general interest ; Comments on the Events of the time, in the 
 shape of Editorials and the Lounger's philosophic and amusing 
 Gossip ; searching but generous Literary Criticisms ; a Chess Chron- 
 icle ; and full and careful reports of the Money, Merchandise, and 
 Produce Markets. 
 
 In fixing at so low a price as Five Cents the price of their paper, 
 the Publishers were aware that nothing but an enormous sale could 
 remunerate them. They are happy to say that the receipts have 
 already realized their anticipations, and justify still further efforts 
 to make HARPER'S WEEKLY an indispensable guest in every home 
 throughout the country. 
 
 TERMS. One Copy for Twenty Weeks, $1 00 ; One Copy for One Year, $2 80 ; 
 One Copy for Two Years, $4 00 ; Five Copie3 for One Year, $9 00; Twelve Cop- 
 ies for One Year, $20 00; Twenty-five Copies for One Year, $40 00. An Extra 
 Copj> will be allowed for every Club of TWELVE or TWENTY-FIVE SUBSOBII 
 
By William C. Prime. 
 
 Boat Life in Egypt & Nubia. 
 
 Boat Life in Egypt and Nubia. By WILLIAM C. PRIME, Au- 
 thor of " The Old House by the River," " Later Years," 
 &c. Illustrations, izmo, Muslin, $i 25. 
 
 Tent Life in the Holy Land. 
 
 By WILLIAM C. PRIME, Author of "The Old House by the 
 River," " Later Years," &c. Illustrations. I 2mo, Mus- 
 lin, $i 25. 
 
 The Old House by the River. 
 
 By WILLIAM C. PRIME, Author of the " Owl Creek Letters." 
 i2mo, Muslin, 75 cents. 
 
 Later Years. 
 
 By WILLIAM C. PRIME, Author of " The Old House by the 
 River." I2mo, Muslin, $i oo. 
 
CURTIS'S HISTORY 
 
 OP THE 
 
 CONSTITUTION. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN, FORMATION, AND ADOP- 
 TION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED 
 STATES. By GEORGE TICKNOR CURTIS. Complete in 2 vols. 
 8vo, Muslin, $4 00 ; Law Sheep, $5 00 ; Half Calf, $6 00. 
 
 A book so thorough as this in the comprehension of its subject, so impartial 
 in the summing up of its judgments, so well considered in its method, and so 
 truthful in its matter, may safely challenge the most exhaustive criticism. The 
 Constitutional History of our country has not before been made the subject of a 
 special treatise. We may congratulate ourselves that an author has been found 
 so capable to do full j ustice to it ; for that the work will take its rank among the 
 received text-books of our political literature will be questioned by no one who 
 has given it a careful perusal. National Intelligencer. 
 
 We know of no person who is better qualified (now that the late Daniel Web- 
 ster is no more), to undertake this important history. Boston Journal. 
 
 It will take its place among the classics of American literature. Boston Cour- 
 ier. 
 
 The author has given years to the preliminary studies, and nothing has es- 
 caped him in the patient and conscientious researches to which he has devoted 
 so ample a portion of time. Indeed, the work has been so thoroughly performed 
 that it will never need to be done over again ; for the sources have been exhaust- 
 ed, and the materials put together with so much judgment and artistic skill that 
 taste and the sense of completeness are entirely satisfied. N. Y. Daily Times. 
 
 A most important and valuable contribution to the historical and political lit- 
 erature of the United States. All publicists and students of public law will be 
 grateful to Mr. Curtis for the diligence and assiduity with which he has wrought 
 out the great mine of diplomatic lore in which the foundations of the American 
 Constitution are laid, and for the light he has thrown on his wide and arduous 
 subject. London Morning Chronicle. 
 
 To trace the history of the formation of the Constitution, and explain the cir- 
 cumstances of the time and country out of which its various provisions grew, is a 
 task worthy of the highest talent. To have performed that task in a satisfacto- 
 ry manner is an achievement with which an honorable ambition may well be 
 gratified. We can honestly say that in our opinion Mr. Curtis has fairly won 
 this distinction. N. Y. Courier and Enquirer. 
 
 We have seen no history which surpasses it in the essential qualities of a 
 standard work destined to hold a permanent place in the impartial judgment of 
 future generations. Boston Traveler. 
 
 Should the second volume sustain the character of the first, we hazard nothing 
 in claiming for the entire publication the character of a standard work. It will 
 furnish the only sure guide to the interpretation of the Constitution, by unfolding 
 historically the wants it was intended to supply, and the evils which it was in- 
 tended to remedy. Boston Daily Advertiser. 
 
 This volume is an important contribution to our constitutional and historical 
 literature. * * * Every true friend of the Constitution will gladly welcome it. 
 The author has presented a narrative clear and interesting. It evinces careful 
 research, skillful handling of material, lucid statement, and a desire to write in 
 a tone and manner worthy of the great theme. Boston Post. 
 
 Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, 
 
 Franklin Square, New York. 
 
 *.* HAHPEB & BBOTHZBB win send the above Work by Mail, postage paid (for 
 any distance in the United States under 3000 miles), on receipt of the Money. 
 
Works by Thomas Carlyle. 
 
 History of Friedrich the Second, 
 
 called Frederic the Great. 4 vols. 12mo, Muslin, 
 $1 25 each. Vols. L and II., with Portraits and 
 Maps, just ready. 
 
 The French Revolution. 
 
 A History. Newly Eevised by the Author, with 
 Index, &o. 2 vols. 12mo, Muslin, $2 00 ; Half 
 Calf, $3 70. 
 
 Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches. 
 
 Including the Supplement to the- First Edition. 
 With Elucidations and Connecting Narrative. 2 
 vols. 12mo, Muslin, $2 00 ; Half Calf, $3 7a 
 
 Past and Present. 
 
 Chartism and Sartor Kesartus. A New Edition. 
 Complete in 1 vol. 12mo, Muslin, $1 00 ; Half 
 
 Calf, $1 85. 
 
 Published ly HARPER & BROTHERS, 
 
 Franklin Square, New York. 
 
 HARPER & BROTHERS will send either of the abote Works 
 by Mail, postage paid (for any distance in the United States under 
 3000 miles), on receipt of the Money. 
 
'0 Catalogue. 
 
 A NEW DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF HARPER & BROTHERS' 
 PUBLICATIONS, with an Index and Classified Table of Contents, is 
 DOW ready for Distribution, and may be obtained gratuitously on 
 application to the Publishers personally, or by letter inclosing Six 
 CENTS in Postage Stamps. 
 
 The attention of gentlemen, in town or country, designing to form 
 Libraries or enrich their Literary Collections, is respectfully invited 
 to this Catalogue, which will be found to comprise a large propor- 
 tion of the standard and most esteemed works in English Literature 
 
 COMPREHENDING MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND VOLUMES which 
 
 are offered, in most instances, at less than one half the cost of sim- 
 (lar productions in England. 
 
 To Librarians and others connected with Colleges, Schools, <fec., 
 #ho may not have access to a reliable guide in forming the true 
 estimate of literary productions, it is believed this Catalogue will 
 prove especially valuable as a manual of reference. 
 
 To prevent disappointment, it is suggested that, whenever books 
 can not be obtained through any bookseller or local agent, applica- 
 tions with remittance should be addressed direct to the Publisher^ 
 which will be promptly attended to. 
 
FC 
 
 RETURN TO the circulation desk ot any 
 University ot California Library 
 
 or to the 
 
 NORTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 Bldg. 400, Richmond Field Station 
 University ot California 
 Richmond, CA 94804-4698 
 
 ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS 
 
 2-month loans may be renewed by calling 
 (510)642-6753 
 
 1-year loans may be recharged by bringing 
 books to NRLF 
 
 Renewals and recharges may be made 4 
 days prior to due date. 
 
 DUE AS STAMPED BELOW 
 
 DEC 61996 
 
 JAN 2 1SS8 
 
 12,000(11/95) 
 
U.C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES ' 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY