Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.Waters, Clara Erskine Clement
History
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.
Waters, Clara Erskine Clement
Women artists -- Biography
<b>CROMENBURCH, ANNA VON.</b> In the Museum of Madrid are four portraits by
this artist: "A Lady of the Netherlands," which belonged to Philip IV.;
"A Lady and Child," "A Lady with her Infant before Her," and another
"Portrait of a Lady." The catalogue of the Museum gallery says: "It is
not known in what place or in what year this talented lady was born. She
is said to have belonged to an old and noble family of Friesland. At any
rate, she was an excellent portrait painter, and flourished about the end
of the sixteenth century. The Museo del Prado is the only gallery in
Europe which possesses works signed by this distinguished artist."
<b>DAHN-FRIES, SOPHIE.</b> Born in Munich. 1835-98. This artist was endowed
with unusual musical and artistic talent. After the education of her only
son, she devoted herself to painting, principally of landscape and
flowers. After 1868, so long as she lived she was much interested in Frau
von Weber's Art School for Girls. In 1886, when a financial crisis came,
Mme. Dahn-Fries saved the enterprise from ruin. She exhibited, in 1887,
two pictures which are well known--"Harvest Time" and "Forest Depths."
<b>DAMER, MRS. ANNE SEYMOUR.</b> Family name Conway. 1748-1828. She was a
granddaughter of the Duke of Argyle, a relative of the Marquis of
Hertford, and a cousin of Horace Walpole. Her education was conducted
with great care; the history of ancient nations, especially in relation
to art, was her favorite study. She had seen but few sculptures, but was
fascinated by them, and almost unconsciously cherished the idea that she
could at least model portraits and possibly give form to original
conceptions.
Allan Cunningham wrote of her thus: "Her birth entitled her to a life of
ease and luxury; her beauty exposed her to the assiduity of suitors and
the temptations of courts; but it was her pleasure to forget all such
advantages 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 intractable bronze."
Before she had seriously determined to attempt the realization of her
dreams, she was brought to a decision by a caustic remark of the
historian, Hume. Miss Conway was one day walking with him when they met
an Italian boy with plaster vases and figures to sell. Hume examined the
wares and talked with the boy. Not long after, in the presence of several
other people, Miss Conway ridiculed Hume's taste in art; he answered her
sarcastically and intimated that no woman could display as much science
and genius as had entered into the making of the plaster casts she so
scorned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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