Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D Part 37

OOSTERWYCK, MARIA VAN. The seventeenth century is remarkable for the perfection attained in still-life and flower painting. The most famous masters in this art were William van Aelst of Delft, the brothers De Heem of Utrecht, William Kalf and the Van Huysums of Amsterdam. The last of this name, however, Jan van Huysum, belongs to the next century.

Maria van Oosterwyck and Rachel Ruysch disputed honors with the above named and are still famous for their talents.

The former was a daughter of a preacher of the reformed religion. She was born at Nootdorp, near Delft, in 1630. She was the pupil of Jan David de Heem, and her pictures were remarkable for accuracy in drawing, fine coloring, and an admirable finish.

Louis XIV. of France, William III. of England, the Emperor Leopold of Germany, and Augustus I. of Poland gave her commissions for pictures.

Large prices were paid her in a most deferential manner, as if the tributes of friends.h.i.+p rather than the reward of labor, and to these generous sums were added gifts of jewels and other precious objects.

Of Maria van Oosterwyck Kugler writes: "In my opinion she does not occupy that place in the history of the art of this period that she deserves, which may be partly owing to the rarity of her pictures, especially in public galleries. For although her flower pieces are weak in arrangement and often gaudy in the combination of color, she yet represents her flowers with the utmost truth of drawing, and with a depth, brilliancy, and juiciness of local coloring _unattained by any other flower painter_"

A picture in the Vienna Gallery of a sunflower with tulips and poppies, in glowing color, is probably her best work in a public collection. Her pictures are also in the galleries of Dresden, Florence, Carlsruhe, Copenhagen, the Schwerin Gallery, and the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

There is a romantic story told of Maria van Oosterwyck, as follows.

William van Aelst, the painter of exquisite pictures of still-life, fruits, gla.s.s, and objects in gold and silver, was a suitor for her hand.

She did not love him, but wis.h.i.+ng not to be too abrupt in her refusal, she required, as a condition of his acceptance, that he should work ten hours a day during a year. This he readily promised to do. His studio being opposite that of Maria, she watched narrowly for the days when he did not work and marked them down on her window-sash. At the close of the year Van Aelst claimed her as his bride, a.s.suming that he had fulfilled her condition; but she pointed to the record of his delinquencies, and he could but accept her crafty dismissal of his suit.

OSENGA, GIUSEPPINA. This artist resides in Parma, and has there exhibited landscapes that are praised for their color and for the manner in which they are painted, as well as for the attractive subjects she habitually chooses. "A View near Parma," the "Faces of Montmorency," and the "Bridge of Attaro" are three of her works which are especially admired.

OSTERTAG, BLANCHE. Member of Society of Western Artists; Arts Club, Chicago; Munic.i.p.al Art League. Born in St. Louis. From 1892-1896 pupil of Laurens and Raphael Collin in Paris, where her works were hung on the line at the New Gallery, Champ de Mars.

A decorative artist who has executed mural decoration in a private house in Chicago, and has ill.u.s.trated "Max Muller's Memories" and other publications. For use in schools she made a color print, "Reading of the Declaration of Independence before the Army."

Her calendars and posters are in demand by collectors at home and in foreign countries. Miss Ostertag has designed elaborate chimney pieces to be executed in mosaic and gla.s.s. Her droll conceits in "Mary and Her Lamb," the "Ten Little Injuns," and other juvenile tales were complimented by Boutet de Monvel, who was so much interested in her work that he gave her valuable criticism and advice without solicitation.

O'TAMA-CHIOVARA. Gold medal at an exhibition of laces in Rome and prizes at all the exhibitions held in Palermo by the Art Club. Born in Tokio, where she came to the notice of Vicenzo Ragusa, a Sicilian sculptor in the employ of the j.a.panese Government at Tokio. He taught her design, color, and modelling, and finally induced her to go with his sister to Palermo. Here her merit was soon recognized in a varied collection of water-colors representing flowers and fruits, which were reproduced with surpa.s.sing truth. When the School of Applied Art was inst.i.tuted at Palermo in 1887, she was put in charge of the drawing, water-color, and modelling in the Women's Section.

She knows the flowers of various countries--those of j.a.pan and Sicily wonderfully well, and her fancy is inexhaustible; her exquisite embroideries reflect this quality. She has many private pupils, and is as much beloved for her character as she is admired for her talents. When she renounced Buddhism for Christianity, the Princess of Scalca was her G.o.dmother.

PACZKA-WAGNER, CORNELIA. Honorable mention, Berlin, 1890. Born in Gottingen, 1864. She has been, in the main, her own instructor, living for some years in Rome for the purpose of study. In 1895 she settled in Berlin, where she has made a specialty of women's and children's portraits in olgraphy (?) and lithography. Beautiful drawings by her were exhibited at the International Water-Color Exhibition in Dresden, 1892.

An interesting account of a visit to the studio of the Hungarian painter Paczka and his German wife tells of a strong series of paintings in progress there, under the general t.i.tle, "A Woman's Soul." In freedom and boldness of conception they were said to remind one of Klinger, but in warmth and depth of feeling to surpa.s.s him. Frau Paczka had just finished a very large picture, representing the first couple after the expulsion from Paradise. The scene is on the waste, stony slope of a mountain; the sun s.h.i.+nes with full force in the background, while upon the unshadowed rocks of the foreground are the prostrate Adam and his wife--more accusing than complaining.

In 1899 Frau Paczka exhibited in Berlin, "Vanitas," which excels in richness of fancy and boldness of representation, while wanting somewhat in detail; the ensemble presents a remarkably fine, symbolic composition, which sets forth in rich color the dance of mankind before the golden calf, and the bitter disillusions in the struggle for fame, wealth, and happiness.

PARLAGHY, VILMA, OR THE PRINCESS LWOFF. Great gold medal from the Emperor of Austria, 1890; great gold medal, 1894; small gold medal at Berlin, 1890, adjudged to her portrait of Windhorst. Born at Hadju-Dorogh in 1863, and studied in Budapest, Munich, Venice, Florence, and Turin.

Her portraits having found great favor at the Court of Berlin, she removed her studio from Munich to that capital.

One of her instructors was Lenbach, and she is said by some critics to have appropriated his peculiarities as a colorist and his shortcomings in drawing, without attaining his geniality and power of divination. In 1891 her portrait of Count von Moltke, begun shortly before his death and finished afterward, was sent to the International Exposition at Berlin, but was rejected. The Emperor, however, bought it for his private collection, and at his request it was given a place of honor at the Exposition, the incident causing much comment. She exhibited a portrait of the Emperor William at Berlin in 1893, which Rosenberg called careless in drawing and modelling and inconceivable in its unrefres.h.i.+ng, dirty-gray color.

In January, 1895, she gave an exhibition of one hundred and four of her works, mostly portraits, including those of the Emperor, Caprivi, von Moltke, and Kossuth, which had previously been exhibited in Berlin, Munich, and Paris. The proceeds of this exhibition went to the building fund of the Emperor William Memorial Church.

Of a portrait exhibited in 1896, at Munich, a critic said that while it was not wholly bad, it was no better than what hundreds of others could do as well, and hundreds of others could do much better.

PASCH, ULRICKE FRIEDERIKA. Member of the Academy of Fine Arts of Sweden. Born in Stockholm. 1735-1796. A portrait of Gustavus-Adolphus II.

by this artist is in the Castle at Stockholm. She was a sister of Lorenz Pasch.

PASCOLI, LUIGIA. This Venetian painter has exhibited in various Italian cities since 1870, when she sent a "Magdalen" to Parma. "First Love" appeared at Naples in 1877, and "The Maskers"--pastel--at Venice in 1881. A "Girl with a Cat," a "Roman Girl," and a "Seller of Eggs"--the latter in Venetian costume--are works of true value. Her copies of t.i.tian's "St. Mark" and of Gian Bellini's "Supper at Emmaus" have attracted attention and are much esteemed.

Pa.s.sE, MAGDALENA VAN DE. Born at Utrecht about 1600; she died at the age of forty. This engraver was a daughter of Crispus van de Pa.s.se, the elder. She practised her art in Germany, England, Denmark, and the Netherlands, and was important as an artist. Her engraving was exceedingly careful and skilful. Among her plates are "Three Sibyls,"

1617; an "Annunciation," "Cephalus and Procris," "Latona," and landscapes after the works of Bril, Savery, Willars, etc.

PATTISON, HELEN SEARLE. Born in Burlington, Vermont. Daughter of Henry Searle, a talented architect who moved to Rochester, New York, where his daughter spent much of her girlhood. She held the position of art teacher in a school in Batavia, New York, while still a girl herself.

About 1860 she became the pupil of Herr Johan Wilhelm Preyer, the well-known painter of still-life, fruit, and flowers. Preyer was a dwarf and an excellent man, but as a rule took no pupils. He was much interested in Miss Searle, and made an exception in her case. She soon acquired the technique of her master and painted much as he did, but with less minute detail, finer color, and far more sentiment.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FLOWERS

HELEN SEARLE PATTISON]

In 1876 Miss Searle married the artist, James William Pattison, now on the staff of the Art Inst.i.tute, Chicago. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Pattison resided at ecouen, near Paris. Returning to America in 1882, they spent some time in Chicago and New York City, removing to Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1884. Here Mr. Pattison was at the head of the School of Fine Arts.

Mrs. Pattison lived but a few months in Jacksonville, dying in November, 1884.

Mrs. Pattison's artistic reputation was well established and her works were exhibited at the Paris Salon and in all the German cities of importance. They were frequently seen in England and at the National Academy of Design in New York. Her subjects were still-life, fruit, and flowers, and her works are widely distributed.

PAZZI, CATERINA DE, whose conventual name was Maria Maddalena. Was born in Florence in 1566. It would be interesting to know the relation that this gentle lady bore to those Pazzi who had earned a fame so unlike hers fourscore years before she saw the light.

Caterina de Pazzi, when a mere girl, entered a convent which stood on the site of the church known by her name in the Via Pinti. The cell of Santa Maddalena--now a chapel--may still be visited. She was canonized by Pope Alexander VIII. in 1670, sixty-two years after her death.

The Florentines have many lovely legends a.s.sociated with her memory. One of these relates that she painted pictures of sacred subjects when asleep. Be this as it may, we know that her pictures were esteemed in the days when the best artists lived and worked beside her. Examples of her art may still be seen in churches in Rome and Parma, as well as in the church of her native city which bears her name.

PEALE, ANNA C. Made her mark as a miniature painter and for some years was the only professional woman artist in Philadelphia. Her portrait of General Jackson made in 1819 was well considered. She also made portraits of President Monroe, Henry Clay, R. M. Johnson, John Randolph of Roanoke, and other prominent men. Miss Peale married in 1829 the Rev. William Staughton, a Baptist clergyman, the president of the theological college at Georgetown, Kentucky. He lived but three months after their marriage, and she returned to Philadelphia and again pursued her artistic labors. She married a second husband, General William Duncan, and from this time gave up professional painting.

PEALE, SARA M. 1860-1885. Daughter of James Peale, under whose teaching she made her first studies. She was also a pupil of her uncle, the founder of Peale's Museum, Philadelphia. Miss Peale painted portraits and spent some years in Baltimore and Was.h.i.+ngton. Among her portraits are those of Lafayette, Thomas Benton, Henry A. Wise, Caleb Cus.h.i.+ng, and other distinguished men. From 1847 she resided in St. Louis thirty years and then went to Philadelphia. Her later works were still-life subjects, especially fruits.