Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D Part 22

G.o.dEWYCK, MARGARETTA. Born at Dort, 1627. A pupil of the celebrated painter, Nicholas Maas. She excelled as a painter of flowers, and was proficient in both ancient and modern languages. She was called by authors of her time, "the lovely flower of Art and Literature of the Merwestrom," which is a poetical way of saying Dordrecht!

GOLAY, MARY--MME. SPEICH GOLAY. Silver medal at Geneva Exposition, 1896; eighteen medals and rewards gained in the Art Schools of Geneva, and the highest recompense for excellence in composition and decoration.

Member of the Amis des Beaux-Arts, Geneva; Societe vaudoise des Beaux Arts, Lausanne. Born in Geneva and studied there under Mittey for flower painting, composition, and ceramic decoration; under Gillet for figure painting.

Mme. Golay has executed a variety of pictures both in oil and water-colors. In an exhibition at the Athenee in Geneva, in the autumn of 1902, she exhibited two pictures of sleep, which afforded an almost startling contrast. They were called "Sweet Sleep" and the "Eternal Sleep." The first was a picture of a beautiful young woman, nude, and sleeping in the midst of roses, while angels watching her inspire rosy dreams of life and love. The roses are of all possible shades, rendered with wonderful freshness--scarlet roses, golden roses--and in such ma.s.ses and so scattered about the nude figure as to give it a character of purity and modesty. The flesh tints are warm, the figure is supple in effect, and the whole is a happy picturing of the sleep and dream of a lovely young woman who has thrown herself down in the carelessness of solitude.

It required an effort of will to turn to the second picture. Here lies another young woman, in her white shroud, surrounded with lilies as white as her face, on which pain has left its traces. In the artistic speech of the present day, it is a symphony in white. The figure is as rigid as the other is supple; it is frightfully immovable--and yet the drawing is not exaggerated in its firmness. Certainly these contrasting pictures witness to the skill of the artist. Without doubt the last is by far the most difficult, but Mme. Golay has known how to conquer its obstacles.

A third picture by this artist in the exhibition is called the "Abundance of Spring." Mme. Golay's reputation as a flower painter has been so long established that one need not dwell on the excellence of the work. A writer in the Geneva _Tribune_ exclaims: "One has never seen more brilliant peonies, more vigorous or finer branches of lilacs, or iris more delicate and distinguished. How they breathe--how they live--how they smile--these ephemeral blossoms!"

GONZALEZ, INeS. Member of the Academy San Carlos of Valencia. In the expositions of 1845 and 1846 in that city she was represented by several miniatures, one of which, "Dido," was much admired. Another--the portrait of the Baron of Santa Barbara--was acquired by the Economic Society of Valencia. In the Provincial Museum is her picture of the "Two Smokers."

GRANBY, MARCHIONESS OF. Replies as follows to circular: "Lady Granby has been written about by Miss Tomlinson, 20 Wigmore Street, London, W.

And I advise you if you really want any information to get it from her.

V. G."

I was not "_really_" anxious enough to be informed about Lady Granby--who drops so readily from the third person to the first--to act on her advice, which I give to my readers, in order that any one who does wish to know about her will be able to obtain the information!

GRANT, MARY R. This sculptor studied in Paris and Florence, as well as in London, where she was a pupil of J. H. Foley, R.A. She has exhibited at the Royal Academy since 1870. She has executed portraits of Queen Victoria, Georgina, Lady Dudley, the Duke of Argyll, Mr. C.

Parnell, M.P., and Sir Francis Grant, P.R.A.

Her memorial work includes a relief of Dean Stanley, Royal Chapel, Windsor; and a relief of Mr. Fawcett, M.P., on the Thames Embankment. The late Queen gave Miss Grant several commissions. In Winchester Cathedral is a screen, on the exterior of Lichfield Cathedral a number of figures, and in the Cathedral of Edinburgh a reredos, all the work of this artist.

At the Royal Academy, 1903, she exhibited a medallion portrait in bronze.

GRATZ, MARIE. Born at Karlsruhe, 1839. This portrait painter was a pupil of Bergmann, and later of Schick and Canon. Among her best-known portraits are those of Prince and Princess Lippe-Detmold, Princess Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Prince Wittgenstein, the hereditary Princess Reuss, and Princess Biron von Kurland.

GRAY, SOPHIE DE b.u.t.tS. First honor, Maryland Inst.i.tute; second honor, World's Fair, New Orleans; gold medal, Autumn Exhibition, Louisville, 1898; first and second premiums, Nelson County Fair, 1898.

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GREATOREX, ELIZA. In 1869 Mrs. Greatorex was elected a.s.sociate member of the National Academy, New York, and was the first woman member of the Artists' Fund Society of New York. Born in Ireland. 1820-1897.

Studied under Witherspoon and James and William Hart in New York; under Lambinet in Paris; and at the Pinakothek in Munich. Mrs. Greatorex visited England, Paris, Italy, and Germany, spending a summer in Nuremberg and one in Ober-Ammergau.

Among her most important works are "Bloomingdale," which was purchased by Mr. Robert Hoe; "Chateau of Madame Cliffe," the property of d.y.k.eman van Doren; "Landscape, Amsterdam"; pictures of "Bloomingdale Church," "St.

Paul's Church," and the "North Dutch Church," all painted on panels taken from these churches.

Mrs. Greatorex ill.u.s.trated the "Homes of Ober-Ammergau" with etchings, published in Munich in 1871; also "Summer Etchings in Colorado,"

published in 1874; and "Old New York from the Battery to Bloomingdale,"

published in 1875. Eighteen of the drawings for the "Old New York" were at the Philadelphia Exhibition, 1876.

GREENAWAY, KATE. Member of the Royal Inst.i.tute of Painters in Water-Colors, 1890. Born in London. 1846-1901. Her father was a well-known wood-engraver. Miss Greenaway first studied her art at the South Kensington School; then at Heatherley's life cla.s.s and at the Slade School. She began to exhibit at the Dudley Gallery in 1868.

Her Christmas cards first attracted general attention to her as an artist. Their quaint beauty and truthful drawing in depicting children, young girls, flowers, and landscape soon made them more popular than the similar work of other artists. These cards sold by thousands on both sides of the Atlantic and secured consideration for any other work she might do.

She soon made ill.u.s.trations for _Little Folks_ and the _London News_. In 1879 "Under the Window" appeared, and one hundred and fifty thousand copies were sold; it was also translated into French and German. The "Birthday Book," "Mother Goose," and "Little Ann" followed and were accorded the heartiest welcome. It is said that for the above four toy books she received $40,000. Wherever they went--and they were in all civilized countries--they were applauded by artists and critics and loved by all cla.s.ses of women and children. One can but hope that Kate Greenaway realized the world-wide pleasure she gave to children.

The exhibition of her works at the Gallery of the Fine Arts Society, since her death, was even more beautiful than was antic.i.p.ated. The grace, delicacy, and tenderness with which her little people were created impressed one in an entire collection as no single book or picture could do.

It has been said that "Kate Greenaway dressed the children of two continents," and, indeed, her revival of the costumes of a hundred years ago was delightful for the children and for everybody who saw them.

Among her papers after her death many verses were found. Had she lived she would doubtless have acquired the courage to give them to the world.

She was shy of strangers and the public; had few intimates, but of those few was very fond; the charm of her character was great--indeed, her friends could discover no faults in her; her personality and presence were as lovely to them as were her exquisite flowers.

GREENE, MARY SHEPARD. Third-cla.s.s medal, 1900, second-cla.s.s medal, 1902, at Salon des Artistes Francais. Her picture of 1902 is thus spoken of in _Success_, September of that year:

"'Une Pet.i.te Histoire' is the t.i.tle of Miss Mary Shepard Greene's graceful canvas. The lithe and youthful figure of a girl is extended upon a straight-backed settle in somewhat of a Recamier pose. She is intently occupied in the perusal of a book. The turn of the head, the careless att.i.tude, and the flesh tints of throat and face are all admirably rendered. The diaphanous quality of the girlish costume is skilfully worked out, as are also the accessories of the room. Miss Greene's work must commend itself to those who recognize the true in art. Technical dexterity and a fine discrimination of color are attributes of this conscientious artist's work. She has a rare idea of grace and great strength of treatment.

"Miss Greene's canvas has a charm all its own, and is essentially womanly, while at the same time it is not lacking in character. Hailing from New England, her first training was in Brooklyn, under Professor Whittaker, from whom she received much encouragement. Afterward she came under the influence of Herbert Adams, and, after pursuing her studies with that renowned artist, she went to Paris, where she was received as a pupil by Raphael Collin. She has exhibited at Omaha, Pittsburg, and at the Salon. Her first picture, called 'Un Regard Fugitif,' won for her a medal of the third cla.s.s."

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GREY, MRS. EDITH F. Member of the Society of Miniaturists, Royal Inst.i.tute of Painters in Water-Colors, Bewick Club, and Northumbrian Art Inst.i.tute, Newcastle-on-Tyne. Born at the last-named place, where she also made her studies in the Newcastle School of Art, and later under private masters in London.

Mrs. Grey has exhibited miniatures and pictures in both oils and water-colors at the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Academy, the Royal Inst.i.tute of Painters in Water-Colors, and the exhibitions at Liverpool, Manchester, and York. Since 1890 she has continuously exhibited at the Academy of the Royal Inst.i.tute, London, except in 1895 and 1902.

Mrs. Grey was fortunate in having the first picture she sent to London sold, and has continued to find purchasers for her exhibited works, which are now in many private collections and number about one hundred and fifty. "Empty," a child study in oils, 1897, and a water-color, "A Silver Latch," 1900, are among her important works.

To the Academy Exhibition, 1903, she sent a picture of "Nightfall, Cullercoats," and a portrait of "Lily, daughter of Mrs. J. B. Firth."

GUILD, MRS. CADWALLADER. I quote from the Boston _Transcript_ a portion of an article relative to this sculptor, some of whose works were exhibited in Boston in 1903:

"In spite of the always suspected journalistic laudations of Americans abroad, in spite of the social vogue and intimacy with royalty which these chronicle, the work of Mrs. Guild shows unmistakable talent and such a fresh, free spirit of originality that one can almost accept the alleged dictum of Berlin that Mrs. Guild 'is the greatest genius in sculpture that America has ever had.'

"The list of Mrs. Guild's works executed abroad include a painting belonging to the very beginning of her career, of still-life in oils, which was accepted and well hung at the Royal Academy in London; but it is in Berlin that she has been especially successful. To her credit there are: A bust of her royal highness the Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein; Mr. Gladstone, in marble and bronze; G. F. Watts, in bronze, for the 'Permanent Manchester Art Exhibition'; Mr. Peter Brotherhood, inventor of a torpedo engine, in marble and bronze, which held the place of honor at the Royal Academy the year of its exhibition; Princess Henry of Prussia, in marble; her highness Princess Helena of Saxe-Altenburg; his excellency the Baron von Rheinbaben, minister of finance; his excellency Dr. Studt, minister of education in art; Prof.

Dr. Henry Thode, of the Heidelberg University; Hans Thoma and Joachim, the violinist; Felix Weingartner; statuette of her royal highness Princess Henry with her little son Prince Henry."

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