women of the world
Susanna Rowson, née Haswell, was an American writer and poet, playwright, actress, and educator.
Susanna Haswell was the daughter of an officer in the Royal Navy. She published her first novel, Victoria, in 1786 and soon married businessman William Rowson. Susanna's greatest success was her first American bestseller, the novel Charlotte, A Tale of Truth (1791, in later editions under the title Charlotte Temple). This novel, a conventional sentimental story of seduction and remorse, was immensely popular and went through more than 200 editions.
In 1792 she became an actress and performed with her bankrupt husband in Scotland, as well as in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston. In 1797, after retiring from the stage, Susanna opened the first "female academy" in Boston. Susanna Rowson also wrote many plays and musicals, and in doing so, helped to develop the performing arts in the United States. Later, she also edited the Boston Weekly Magazine, wrote geography and spelling textbooks, and moralizing manuals.
Dorothea Margaret Tanning was an American surrealist painter, printmaker, sculptor, writer and poet.
In 1935 Dorothea came to New York and worked as an advertising artist until she was inspired by the paintings of the famous Surrealists at an exhibition. She began to paint and exhibit and made numerous acquaintances among contemporary artists. In 1946 she married the artist Max Ernst, and this marriage lasted 30 years. They lived in Paris for a long time, and after his death in 1976, she returned to New York.
As an artist, Dorothea Tanning was self-taught, and her style was constantly changing. At first close to surrealism, by the late 1960s her paintings had become almost entirely abstract. Among her artistic accomplishments are paintings, prints, sculpture, stage design, costume and set designs for ballets, and her work has been exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate Modern, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
In the late 1980s, Tanning began writing poetry, and her work has subsequently been published in various publications. Her first collection of poems, A Table of Content, was published in 2004. The multifaceted and versatile artist died in New York City at the age of 101.
Berthe Morisot was a French painter, renowned for her pivotal role in the Impressionist movement. Born into an affluent family in 1841, Morisot's upbringing was steeped in culture, and she received a comprehensive art education alongside her sisters. Despite societal constraints, she pursued a career in art, initially exhibiting at Paris' salons before transitioning to the more avant-garde Impressionist exhibitions.
Berthe Morisot's artistry is characterized by a unique blend of color, light, and texture, embodying a distinctly "feminine" style that garnered admiration from her peers and critics alike. Her works, such as "The Cradle" and "Hanging the Laundry out to Dry," showcase her ability to capture the ephemeral qualities of everyday life with a tender and nuanced touch. Morisot's palette, dominated by pastel tones and an interplay of light, lends her paintings an ethereal quality, while her brushwork reflects a freedom and delicacy that became her signature.
Throughout her career, Berthe Morisot's evolving style reflected broader artistic trends, integrating influences from photography and Japanese prints. Yet, she remained faithful to the Impressionist ethos, capturing the transient moments of life with grace and sensitivity. Today, her works are celebrated in museums like the Musée d'Orsay, testament to her enduring influence in the realm of art and culture.
As we remember Berthe Morisot, her legacy continues to inspire art collectors and enthusiasts, reminding us of the profound impact one individual can have on the course of art history. For those captivated by Berthe Morisot's contribution to art and culture, we invite you to sign up for updates on upcoming sales and auction events featuring her works. Join us in celebrating the timeless beauty and historical significance of Morisot's artistry.
Susanna Rowson, née Haswell, was an American writer and poet, playwright, actress, and educator.
Susanna Haswell was the daughter of an officer in the Royal Navy. She published her first novel, Victoria, in 1786 and soon married businessman William Rowson. Susanna's greatest success was her first American bestseller, the novel Charlotte, A Tale of Truth (1791, in later editions under the title Charlotte Temple). This novel, a conventional sentimental story of seduction and remorse, was immensely popular and went through more than 200 editions.
In 1792 she became an actress and performed with her bankrupt husband in Scotland, as well as in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston. In 1797, after retiring from the stage, Susanna opened the first "female academy" in Boston. Susanna Rowson also wrote many plays and musicals, and in doing so, helped to develop the performing arts in the United States. Later, she also edited the Boston Weekly Magazine, wrote geography and spelling textbooks, and moralizing manuals.
Jan Bruegel the Younger was a Flemish Baroque painter. He was the son of Jan Brueghel the Elder, and grandson of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, both prominent painters who contributed respectively to the development of Renaissance and Baroque painting in the Habsburg Netherlands. Taking over his father's workshop at an early age, he painted the same subjects as his father in a style which was similar to that of his father. He regularly collaborated with leading Flemish painters of his time.
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright, novelist and literary critic, socialist propagandist and journalist, winner of the 1925 Nobel Prize for Literature.
George Bernard was born into a poor noble family and, growing up, suffered greatly from that poverty. After a decade of failure on the literary field, Bernard became an active member of the Fabian Society, a middle-class socialist group founded in 1884, which sought the gradual transformation of English society.
He began working as a journalist and writing plays, which soon enough became popular. In The Man and the Superman, Shaw laid out his philosophy that humanity is the last stage of a purposeful and eternal evolutionary movement of "life force" toward ever higher forms of life. By far his most popular play is Pygmalion, a humane comedy about love and the English class system. But George Bernard Shaw was not only the best comic playwright of his time. Some of his stage works - Caesar and Cleopatra, The Man and Superman, Major Barbara, House of Broken Hearts, and St. Joan - are highly serious and refined in their prose.
Shaw was also a bold pamphleteer, a popular and widely read music and theater critic of his generation, a lecturer and essayist on politics, economics and sociology. In the course of his long and prolific life Bernard Shaw shaped the political, economic and social worldviews of several generations.
Leonora Sansay, born Honora Davern, is an American author.
Leonora was the author of several adventure novels, including The Secret History and Zelica: Creole, which may be the first American novel with a non-white heroine. Her novels are remarkable in that they document the life and observations of a remarkable woman in a turbulent time.
Pablo Ruiz Picasso, a Spanish artist renowned for his revolutionary contributions to the 20th-century art scene, is a figure that resonates profoundly with collectors and art experts. His unique blend of talents in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and ceramic art, infused with his time in France, positioned him as a pivotal character in modern art history.
Picasso's artistic journey was marked by distinct periods, each showcasing his evolving style and genius. His early years were characterized by the Blue Period (1901-1904), followed by the Rose Period (1904-1906), and then the African-influenced Period (1907-1909). Picasso's name is synonymous with Cubism, a movement he co-founded, which significantly altered artistic perspectives and methods. Works like "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" (1907) and "Guernica" (1937) are emblematic of his cubist legacy, the latter being a poignant anti-war statement that remains influential.
His later years saw a return to more traditional styles, with neoclassical and surrealist influences becoming evident. Works from these phases reflect a deep engagement with mythological themes, as seen in "Faun with Stars" (1955), symbolizing his late-life romance with Jacqueline Roque, his second wife.
Picasso's prolific output and innovative spirit made him a legend in his own time, a status that only grew after his death. His works, housed in major museums and private collections worldwide, continue to captivate and inspire.
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