Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D Part 18

EMMET, LYDIA FIELD. Medal at Columbian Exhibition, Chicago, 1893; medal at Atlanta Exhibition, 1895; honorable mention at Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, 1901. Member of the Art Students' League and Art Workers' Club for Women. Born at New Roch.e.l.le, New York. Studied at Art Students' League under Chase, Mowbray, c.o.x, and Reid; at the Julian Academy, Paris, under Robert-Fleury, Giacomotti, and Bouguereau; at the Shinnec.o.c.k School of Art under W. M. Chase; at Academie Viete, Paris, under Collin, and in a private studio under Mac Monnies.

[Ill.u.s.tration: From a Copley Print.

DOROTHY

LYDIA FIELD EMMET]

Miss Emmet has painted many portraits, which are in private hands in New York, Chicago, Boston, and elsewhere. She executed a decorative painting for the Woman's Building at Chicago which is still in that city.

EMMET, ROSINA--MRS. ARTHUR MURRAY SHERWOOD. Silver medal, Paris Exposition, 1889; the Art Department medal, Chicago, 1893; bronze medal, Buffalo, 1901. Member of the Society of American Artists, American Water-Color Society, New York Water-Color Club. Born in New York City.

Studied two years under William M. Chase and six months at Julian Academy, Paris.

Miss Emmet exhibited at the National Academy of Design, in 1881, a "Portrait of a Boy"; in 1882, a "Portrait of Alexander Stevens" and "Waiting for the Doctor"; in 1883, "Red Rose Land" and "La Mesciana"; her picture called "September" belongs to the Boston Art Club. The greater number of her works are in private collections.

ESCALLIER, MME. eLeONORE. Medal at Salon, 1868. A pupil of Ziegler.

A painter of still-life whose pictures of flowers and birds were much admired. "Chrysanthemums," exhibited in 1869, was purchased by the Government. "Peaches and Grapes," 1872, is in the Museum at Dijon; and in 1875 she executed decorative panels for the Palais de la Legion d'Honneur.

ESCH, MATHILDE. Born at Kletten, Bohemia, 1820. Pupil of Waldmuller in Vienna. She also studied a long time in Dusseldorf and several years in Paris, finally settling in Vienna. She painted charming scenes from German and Hungarian life, as well as flowers and still-life.

Most of her works are in private galleries.

ESINGER, ADeLE. Born in Salzburg, 1846. In 1874 she became a student at the Art School in Stuttgart, where she worked under the special direction of Funk, and later entered the Art School at Carlsruhe, where she was a pupil of Gude. She also received instruction from Hansch. Her pictures are remarkable for their poetic feeling; especially is this true of "A Quiet Sea," "The Gollinger Waterfall," and "A Country Party."

EYCK, MARGARETHA VAN. In Bruges, in the early decades of the fifteenth century, the Van Eycks were inventing new methods in the preparation of colors. Their discoveries in this regard a.s.sured them an undying fame, second only to that of their marvellous pictures.

Here, in the quaint old city--a large part of which we still describe as mediaeval--in an atmosphere totally unlike that of Italy, beside her devout brothers, Hubert and Jan, was Margaretha. When we examine the minute detail and delicate finish of the pictures of Jan van Eyck, we see a reason why the sister should have been a miniaturist, and do not wonder that with such an example before her she should have excelled in this art. The fame of her miniatures extended even to Southern Italy, where her name was honorably known.

We cannot now point to any pictures as exclusively hers, as she worked in concert with her brothers. It is, however, positively known that a portion of an exquisite Breviary, in the Imperial Library in Paris, was painted by Margaretha, and that she ill.u.s.trated other precious and costly ma.n.u.scripts.

She was held in high esteem in Bruges and was honored in Ghent by burial in the Church of St. Bavo, where Hubert van Eyck had been interred. Karl van Mander, an early writer on Flemish art, was poetically enthusiastic in praise of Margaretha, calling her "a gifted Minerva, who spurned Hymen and Lucina, and lived in single blessedness."

A Madonna in the National Gallery in London is attributed to Margaretha van Eyck.

FACIUS, ANGELIKA. Born at Weimar. 1806-87. This artist was distinguished as an engraver of medals and gems. Pupil of her father, Friedrich Wilhelm Facius. Goethe recommended her to Rauch, and in 1827 she went to Berlin to study in his studio. Under her father's instruction she engraved the medal for the celebration at Weimar, 1825, of the jubilee of the Grand Duke Charles Augustus. Under Rauch's direction she executed the medal to commemorate the duke's death. In 1841 she made the medal for the convention of naturalists at Jena.

After Neher's designs, she modelled reliefs for the bronze doors at the castle of Weimar.

FARNCOMB, CAROLINE. Several first prizes in exhibitions in London, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. Member of Women's Art Club, London, Ontario. Born near Toronto, Canada. Pupil of Mr. Judson and Mlle. van den Broeck in London, Canada, and later of William Chase in New York.

Now studying in Paris.

Fa.s.sETT, CORNELIA ADeLE. 1831-1898. Member of the Chicago Academy of Design and the Washington Art Club. Born in Owasco, New York. Studied water-color painting in New York under an English artist, J. B.

Wandesforde. Pupil in Paris of Castiglione, La Tour, and Mathieu. Her artistic life was spent in Chicago and Washington, D. C.

She painted numerous portraits in miniature and a large number in oils.

Among those painted from life were Presidents Grant, Hayes, and Garfield; Vice-President Henry Wilson; Charles Foster, when Governor of Ohio, now in the State House at Columbus, Ohio; Dr. Rankin, president of Howard University, Washington; and many other prominent people of Chicago and Washington.

Her chief work and that by which she is best remembered hangs in the Senate wing of the United States Capitol. No picture in the Capitol attracts more attention, and large numbers of people view it daily. It is the "Electoral Commission in Open Session." It represents the old Senate Chamber, now the Supreme Court Room, with William M. Evarts making the opening argument. There are two hundred and fifty-eight portraits of notable men and women, prominent in political, literary, scientific, and social circles. Many of these were painted from life.

The _Arcadian_, New York, December 15, 1876, in speaking of this picture, says: "Mr. Evarts is addressing the court, and the large number of people present are naturally and easily grouped. There is no stiffness nor awkwardness in the positions, nothing forced in the whole work. There are, in the crowd, ladies in bright colors to relieve the sombreness of the black-coated men, and the effect of the whole picture is pleasing and artistic, aside from its great value as an historical work."

The _Washington Capital_, March 17, 1878: "Mrs. Fa.s.sett's 'Electoral Commission' gives evidence of great merit, and this ill.u.s.tration in oil of an historical event in the presidential annals of the country, by the preservation of the likenesses in groups of some of the princ.i.p.al actors, and a few leading correspondents of the press, will be valuable. This picture we safely predict will be a landmark in the history of the nation that will never be erased. It memorizes a most remarkable crisis in our life, and perpetuates, both by reason of its intrinsic value as a chapter of history and its intrinsic worth as an art production, the incident it represents and the name of the artist."

In the _Washington Star_, October, 1903, an article appeared from which I quote as follows: "On the walls of the beautiful tessellated corridor of the eastern gallery floor of the Senate wing of the Capitol at Washington, just opposite the door of the caucus room of the Senate Democrats, hangs a large oil painting that never fails to attract the keenest curiosity of sightseers and legislators alike. And for good reason: that painting depicts in glowing colors a scene of momentous import, a chapter of American political history of graver consequence and more far-reaching results than any other since the Civil War. The printed legend on the frame of the picture reads:

"'The Florida case before the electoral commission, February 5, 1877.

Painted from life sittings in the United States Supreme Court room by Cornelia Adele Fa.s.sett.'"

"The painting belongs to Congress, having been purchased from the artist for $15,000. As you face the picture the portraits of two hundred and fifty-eight men and women, who, twenty-six years ago, were part and parcel of the legislative, executive, judicial, social, and journalistic life of Washington, look straight at you as if they were still living and breathing things, as, indeed, many of them are. As a work of art the picture is unique, for each face is so turned that the features can easily be studied, and the likenesses of nearly all are so faithful as to be a source of constant wonder and delight."--_David S. Barry_, in _Pearson's Magazine_.

FAUVEAU, FeLICIE DE. Second-cla.s.s medal at Florence in 1827, when she made her debut by exhibiting a statue, "The Abbot," and a group, "Queen Christine and Monaldeschi." Born in Florence, of French parents, about 1802. For political reasons she was forced to leave Florence about 1834, when she went to Belgium, but later returned to her native city.

Among her best works are "St. George and the Dragon," bronze; the "Martyrdom of St. Dorothea," "Judith with the Head of Holofernes," "St.

Genoveva," marble, and a monument to Dante.

Her works display a wonderful skill in the use of drapery and a purity of taste in composition. She handled successfully the exceedingly difficult subject, a "Scene between Paolo and Francesca da Rimini."

FAUX-FROIDURE, MME. EUGeNIE JULIETTE. Honorable mention at Salon, 1898; the same at the Paris Exposition, 1900; third-cla.s.s medal at Salon, 1903; first prize of the Union of Women Painters and Sculptors, 1902; chevalier of the Order Nichan Iftikar; Officer of Public Instruction.

Member of the a.s.sociation of Baron Taylor, of the Societe des Artistes Francais, of the Union of Women Painters and Sculptors, and of the a.s.sociation of Professors of Design of the City of Paris. Born at Noyen (Sarthe). Pupil of P. V. Galland, Albert Maignan, and G. Saintpierre.

Mme. Faux-Froidure's pictures are princ.i.p.ally of fruit and flowers, and three have been purchased by the Government. One, "Raisins" (Grapes), is in the Museum at Commerey; a second, "Hortensias" (Hydrangeas), is in the Museum of Mans; the third, which was in the Salon of 1903, has not yet been placed. In 1899 she exhibited a large water-color called "La Barque fleurie," which was much admired and was reproduced in "L'Ill.u.s.tration."

Her water-color of "Clematis and Virginia Creeper" is in the Museum at Tunis. In the summer exhibition of 1903, at evreux, this artist's "Peonies" and "Iris" were delightfully painted--full of freshness and brilliancy, such as would be the despair of a less skilful hand.

At the Limoges Exposition, May to November, 1903, Mme. Faux-Froidure was announced as hors concours in water-colors.

La Societe Francais des Amis des Arts purchased from the Salon, 1903, two water-colors by Mme. Faux-Froidure--"Roses" and "Loose Flowers," or "Jonchee fleurie."

Her pictures at the Exposition at Toulouse, spring of 1903, were much admired. In one she had most skilfully arranged "Peaches and Grapes." The color was truthful and delicate. The result was a most artistic picture, in which the art was concealed and nature alone was manifest. A second picture of "Zinnias" was equally admirable in the painting of the flowers, while that of the table on which they were placed was not quite true in its perspective.

Of a triptych, called the "Life of Roses," exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Francais, 1903, Jules de Saint Hilaire writes: "Mme.

Faux-Froidure was inspired when she painted her charming triptych of 'Rose Life.' In the compartment on the left the roses are twined in a crown resembling those worn in processions; in the centre, in all its dazzling beauty, the red rose, the rose of love, is enthroned; while the panel on the right is consecrated to the faded rose--the souvenir rose, shrivelled, and lying beside the little casket which it still perfumes with its old-time sweetness."