Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D Part 10

Miss Bonsall has prepared a "Cat Calendar" and a "Child's Book about Cats," which were promised to appear in the autumn of 1903.

BONSALL, MARY M. First Toppan prize at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Member of the Plastic Club, Philadelphia. Studied at above academy under Vonnoh, De Camp, William Chase, and Cecilia Beaux.

This artist paints portraits, which are in private hands.

BONTE, PAULA. Born in Magdeburg, 1840, and from 1862 to 1864 was a pupil of Pape in Berlin. She travelled and studied in Northern Italy and Switzerland, and from these regions, as well as from Northern Germany, took her subjects. She has exhibited pictures at various exhibitions, and among her best works should be mentioned: "The Beach at Clovelly in Devons.h.i.+re," "From the Bernese Oberland," "The Riemenstalden Valley,"

etc.

BOOTT, ELIZABETH. Born in Cambridge. Miss Boott was one of those pupils of William M. Hunt to whom he imparted a wonderful artistic enthusiasm, energy, and devotion. After studying in Boston she studied in Paris under Duveneck--whom she afterward married--and under Couture. Her subjects were genre, still-life, and flowers, and were well considered.

Among her genre pictures are "An Old Man Reading," an "Old Roman Peasant," and a "Girl with a Cat." When in Italy she painted a number of portraits, which were successful. Miss Brewster, who lived in Rome, was an excellent critic, and she wrote: "I must say a few words about a studio I have lately visited--Miss Boott's. I saw there three very fine portraits, remarkable for strength and character, as well as rich coloring: one of Mr. Boott, one of Bishop Say, and the third of T.

Adolphus Trollope, the well-known writer and brother of the novelist, Anthony Trollope. All are good likenesses and are painted with vigor and skill, but the one of Mr. Trollope is especially clever. Trollope's head and face, though a good study, are not easy to paint, but Miss Boott has succeeded to perfection. His head and beard are very fine. The face in nature, but for the melancholy, kindly look about the eyes and mouth, would be stern; Miss Boott has caught this expression and yet retained all the firm character of the countenance. It is remarkable that an artist who paints male heads with such a vigorous character should also give to flowers softness, transparency, and grace. Nothing can be more lovely than Miss Boott's flower studies. She has some delicious poppies among wheat, lilies, thistles. She gets a transparency into these works that is not facile in oil. A bunch of roses in a vase was as tender and round and soft-colored as in nature. Among all the many studios of Rome I do not know a more attractive one than Miss Boott's."

BORTOLAN, ROSA. Born at Treviso. She was placed in the Academy at Venice by her family, where she had the benefit of such masters as Grigoletti, Lipparini, Schiavoni, and Zandomeneghi. She early showed much originality, and after making thorough preliminary studies she began to follow her own ideas. She was of a mystical and contemplative turn of mind, and a great proportion of her work has been of a religious nature.

Her pictures began to attract attention about 1847, and she had many commissions for altar-pieces and similar work. The church of Valdobbiadene, at Venice, contains "San Venanziano Fortunatus, Bishop."

"Saint Louis" was painted as a commission of Brandolin da Pieve; "Comte Justinian Replying to Bonaparte in Treviso" was a subscription picture presented to Signor Zoccoletto. Portraits of the Countess Canossa-Portalupi and her son, of Luigia Codemo, and of Luigi Giacomelli are thought to possess great merit; while those of Dr. Pasquali (in the Picture Gallery at Treviso) and Michelangelo Codemo have been judged superior to those of Rosalba Carriera and Angelica Kauffmann. Her sacred pictures, strong and good in color, are full of a mystical and spiritual beauty. Her drawing is admirable and her treatment of detail highly finished.

BORZINO, LEOPOLDINA. Milanese water-color painter. Has shown excellent genre pictures at various exhibitions. "The Holiday" and the "Return from Ma.s.s" were both exhibited and sold at Rome in 1883; "The Way to Calvary" was seen at Venice in 1887. "The Rosary," "Anguish," and "Going to the Fountain" are all distinguished by good color as well as by grace and originality of composition.

BOUGUEREAU, MME. ELIZABETH JANE. See Gardner.

BOULANGER, MME. MARIE ELIZABETH. Medals at the Paris Salon in 1836 and 1839. Born in Paris, 1810. Her family name was Blavot, and after the death of M. Boulanger she married M. Cave, director of the Academy of the Beaux-Arts. Her picture of "The Virgin in Tears" is in the Museum of Rouen; and "The Children's Tournament," a triptych, was purchased by the Government.

BOURRILLON-TOURNAY, MME. JEANNE. Medal of the second cla.s.s at Exposition Universelle at Lyons; silver medal at Versailles; honorable mention at Paris Salon, 1896; the two prizes of the Union des Femmes Peintres et Sculpteurs--les Palmes Academique, 1895; the Rosette of an Officer of the Public Instruction in 1902. Member of the Societe des Artistes Francais, of the Union des Femmes Peintres et Sculpteurs, and of the a.s.sociation de Baron Taylor. Born at Paris, 1870. Pupil of Ferdinand Humbert and G. C. Saintpierre.

This artist paints portraits, and among them are those of a "Young Girl,"

which belongs to the general Council of the Seine; one of the Senator Theophile Roussel, of the Inst.i.tute, and a portrait of an "Aged Lady,"

both purchased by the Government; one of M. Auguste Boyer, councillor of the Court of Ca.s.sation, and many others.

At the Salon des Artistes Francais, 1902, Mme. Bourrillon-Tournay exhibited two portraits, one being that of her mother; in 1903, that of M. Boyer and one of Mme. B.

BOWEN, LOTA. Member of Society of Women Artists, London, the Tempera Society, and the "91" Art Club. Born at Armley, Yorks.h.i.+re. Studied in Ludovici's studio, London; later in Rome under Santoro, and in the night cla.s.ses of the Circolo Artistico.

Her pictures are princ.i.p.ally landscapes, and are chiefly in private collections in England. Among the most important are "On the Venetian Lagoons," "Old Stone Pines, Lido, Venice," "Evening on Lake Lugano,"

"Evening Glow on the Dolomites," "The Old Bird Fancier," "Moonrise on Crowborough, Suss.e.x." All these have been exhibited at the Academy.

"Miss Lota Bowen constantly receives most favorable notices of her works in magazines and journals. She is devotedly fond of her art, and has sought subjects for her brush in many European byways, as well as in North Africa, Turkey, and Montenegro. She paints portraits and figure subjects; has a broad, swinging brush and great love of 'tone.' Miss Bowen has recently built a studio, in Kensington, after her own design.

She is in London from Christmas time to August, when she makes an annual journey for sketching."

BOZZINO, CANDIDA LUIGIA. Silver medal at Piacenza. Born at Piacenza, 1853. Pupil of her father. Her portrait of Alessandro Manzoni was her prize picture. The "Madonna of the Sacred Heart of Jesus" was painted on a commission from the Bishop of Piacenza, who presented it to Pope Pius IX.; after being exhibited at the Vatican, it was sent to the Bishop of Jesi, for the church of Castelplanio. Other celebrated works of hers are a "Holy Family," the "Madonna of Lourdes," and several copies of the "Via Crucis," by Viganoni.

In 1881 this artist entered the Ursuline Convent at Piacenza, where she continues to paint religious pictures.

BRACKEN, JULIA M. First prize for sculpture, Chicago, 1898; appointed on staff of sculptors for the St. Louis Exposition. Member of Arts Club, Western Society of Artists, Munic.i.p.al Art League, and Krayle Workshop, Chicago. Born at Apple River, Ill., 1871. Pupil of Chicago Art Inst.i.tute. Acted as a.s.sistant to Lorado Taft, 1887-92. Was much occupied with the decorations for the Columbian Exposition, and executed on an independent commission the statue of "Illinois Welcoming the Nations."

There are to be five portrait statues placed in front of the Educational Building at St. Louis, each to be executed by a well-known artist. One of these is to be the work of Miss Bracken, who is the only woman among them. Miss Bracken has modelled an heroic portrait statue of President Monroe; beside the figure is a globe, on which he points out the junction of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

[_No reply to circular_.]

BRACQUEMOND, MME. MARIE. Pupil of Ingres. A portrait painter, also painter of genre subjects. At the Salon of 1875 she exhibited "The Reading"; in 1874 "Marguerite." She has been much occupied in the decoration of the Haviland faience, a branch of these works, at Auteuil, being at one time in charge of her husband, Felix Bracquemond. In 1872 M.

Bracquemond was esteemed the first ceramic artist in France. An eminent French critic said of M. and Mme. Bracquemond: "You cannot praise too highly these two artists, who are as agreeable and as clever as they are talented and esteemed."

Mme. Bracquemond had the faculty of employing the faience colors so well that she produced a clearness and richness not attained by other artists.

The progress made in the Haviland faience in the seventies was very largely due to Mme. Bracquemond, whose pieces were almost always sold from the atelier before being fired, so great was her success.

BRANDEIS, ANTOINETTA. Many prizes at the Academy of Venice. Born of Bohemian parents in Miscova, Galitza, 1849. Pupil of Iavurek, of Prague, in the beginning of her studies, but her father dying and her mother marrying again, she was taken to Venice, where she studied in the Academy several years under Grigoletti, Moja, Bresolin, Nani, and Molmenti.

Although all her artistic training was received in Italy and she made her first successes there, most of her works have been exhibited in London, under the impression that she was better understood in England.

Annoyed by the commendation of her pictures "as the work of a woman," she signed a number of her canvases Antonio Brandeis. Although she painted religious subjects for churches, her special predilection is for views of Venice, preferably those in which the gondola appears. She has studied these in their every detail. "Il ca.n.a.le Traghetto de' San Geremia" is in the Museum Rivoltella at Trieste. This and "Il ca.n.a.le dell' Abbazia della Misericordia" have been much commended by foreign critics, especially the English and Austrians. Other Venetian pictures are "La Chiese della Salute," "Il ca.n.a.le de' Ca.n.a.lregio," and "La Pescaria."

BRESLAU, LOUISA CATHERINE. Gold medal at Paris Exposition, 1889; gold medal at Paris Exposition, 1900. Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, 1901. Member of the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts. A Swiss artist, who made her studies at the Julian Academy under Robert-Fleury.

She has painted many portraits. Her picture "Under the Apple-Tree" is in the Museum at Lausanne; the "Little Girls" or "The Sisters" and the "Child Dreamer"--exhibited at Salon, 1902--are in the Gallery of the Luxembourg; the "Gamins," in the Museum at Carpentras; the "Tea Party,"

at the Ministry of the Interior, Paris.

At the Salon of 1902 Mlle. Breslau exhibited six pictures, among which were landscapes, two representing September and October at Saint-Cloud; two of fruit and flowers; all of which were admired, while the "Dreamer"

was honored with a place in the Luxembourg. In the same Salon she exhibited six pictures in pastel: four portraits, and heads of a gamin and of a little girl. The portrait of Margot is an ideal picture of a happy child, seated at a table, resting her head on her left hand while with the right she turns the leaves of a book. A toy chicken and a doll are on the table beside her. In the Salon of 1903 she exhibited five pictures of flowers and another called the "Child with Long Hair."

I was first interested in this artist by the frequent references to her and her work in the journal of Marie Bashkirtseff. They were fellow-pupils in the Julian Academy. Soon after she began her studies there Marie Bashkirtseff writes: "Breslau has been working at the studio two years, and she is twenty; I am seventeen, but Breslau had taken lessons for a long time before coming here.... How well that Breslau draws!"

"That miserable Breslau has composed a picture, 'Monday Morning, or the Choice of a Model.' Every one belonging to the studio is in it--Julian standing between Amalie and me. It is correctly done, the perspective is good, the likenesses--everything. When one can do a thing like that, one cannot fail to become a great artist. You have guessed it, have you not?

I am jealous. That is well, for it will serve as a stimulus to me."