Anna Elizabeth Klumpke Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Anna Elizabeth Klumpke

Born	(1856-10-28)October 28, 1856 San Francisco, California
Died	February 9, 1942(1942-02-09) (aged 85) San Francisco, California
Resting place	Père Lachaise Cemetery, Neptune Society Columbarium
Nationality	American
Education	Académie Julian
Known for	Genre works, painting

Anna Elizabeth Klumpke (born October 28, 1856 – died February 9, 1942) was an American artist. She was known for painting portraits and everyday scenes. Anna was born in San Francisco, California, in the United States. She is famous for her paintings of important women. These include Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1889) and Rosa Bonheur (1898).

Anna's Early Life and Schooling
Anna's Art Career
Awards and Special Recognitions
Notable Artworks
Images for kids
See also

Anna's Early Life and Schooling

Anna Klumpke in her studio

Anna's father, John Gerald Klumpke, was a successful and rich real estate agent in San Francisco. Her mother was Dorothea Mattilda Tolle. Anna was the oldest of eight children. Five of her siblings grew up to be adults. Her sisters included Dorothea Klumpke-Roberts, who became an astronomer. Another sister, Julia Klumpke, was a violinist. Her sister Augusta Déjerine-Klumpke became a neurologist.

When Anna was three years old, she fell and broke her leg. She fell again at age five. This caused a serious bone infection in her knee. These health problems made it hard for her to walk. Her mother tried very hard to find a cure. She took Anna and three of her siblings to Berlin, Germany, for treatment. The treatment lasted 18 months. It included special baths at Kreuznach. Sadly, the treatment did not work well. Anna always had trouble walking.

While they were in Europe, Anna's mother made sure her children got great lessons. The time spent in Europe caused problems between Anna's parents. When Anna was fifteen, her parents divorced. She and her five siblings moved with their mother to Göttingen, Germany. They lived there with her mother's sister for a while. Anna and her sister Augusta went to school in Cannstatt, near Stuttgart. When Anna was seventeen, her family moved to Clarens, near Lake Geneva in Switzerland. She spent two years at a boarding school there.

Anna studied art at home for the next few years. In October 1877, her family moved again to Paris, France. Later, she joined the Académie Julian art school (1883–1884). She learned from teachers like Tony Robert-Fleury and Jules Lefebvre. Anna spent many hours copying paintings at the Musée du Luxembourg. One of her favorite paintings to copy was Ploughing in the Nivernais by Rosa Bonheur. She also studied with Vuillefroy.

In 1884, while still at the Academy, Anna showed her first painting at the Paris Salon. This was a big art show. She won the top prize for the best student of the year. She continued to show her art at the Salon for several more years. After finishing her studies, she went back to the United States. She taught art in Boston for a few years. But by 1889, she was back in Paris.

Anna's Art Career

Meeting Rosa Bonheur

When Anna was a little girl, she had a doll named "Rosa." This doll was made to look like the famous French animal painter Rosa Bonheur. Rosa Bonheur was so well-known that dolls were made in her honor. From a young age, Anna was very interested in and inspired by this woman artist.

In 1895, Anna and Rosa Bonheur finally met. Bonheur was 73 years old, and Klumpke was 39. Klumpke really wanted to paint Bonheur's portrait.

By August 11, 1898, the two women were living together. They signed a special agreement. Bonheur made a new art studio for Klumpke. In return, Klumpke would paint three portraits of Bonheur. She would also write Bonheur's life story. Their close friendship lasted until Bonheur passed away in May 1899.

Rosa Bonheur named Anna Klumpke as the only person to receive her property after her death. This was against the wishes of Bonheur's family. In 1899, Anna opened the Rosa Bonheur Memorial Art School. This school helped women learn about art. She also managed the sale of all of Bonheur's artworks in 1900. Anna started the Rosa Bonheur Prize at the Société des Artistes Français. She also created the Musée de l'atelier Rosa Bonheur (Museum of the Studio of Rosa Bonheur). This museum is at Château de By near the Palace of Fontainebleau.

Anna Klumpke kept detailed diaries. In 1908, she published a book about Bonheur called Sa Vie Son Oeuvre. This means "Her Life, Her Work." This book was based on Anna's own diary entries. It also used Bonheur's letters, drawings, and other writings. The book was not published in English until 1998. In it, Klumpke told Bonheur's life story. She shared how they met and how she became Bonheur's official portrait painter and close friend.

Anna Klumpke showed her artwork at the Palace of Fine Arts and The Woman's Building. This was during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.

Later Years in San Francisco

After Rosa Bonheur's death, Anna Klumpke spent her time in France, Boston, and San Francisco. She finally settled in San Francisco in the 1930s. During World War I, she and her mother set up a hospital for soldiers recovering from injuries. This hospital was in their home in Thomery, France.

In 1940, when she was 84 years old, Anna Klumpke published her own life story. It was called Memoirs of an Artist. She passed away on February 9, 1942, at the age of 86. She died in her hometown of San Francisco. There is a memorial for her at the Neptune Society Columbarium in San Francisco. She is buried next to Rosa Bonheur and Nathalie Micas at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Their shared tombstone says, "Friendship is divine affection." Klumpke's work was also shown in the 2018 art exhibit called Women in Paris 1850–1900.

Anna's Painting Style

Anna Klumpke mostly painted genre scenes. These are pictures of everyday life. She often painted quiet scenes of country life. These usually featured people, often women. Her painting, Catinou Knitting, was shown at the Paris Salon in 1887. This sweet painting became very popular. Copies of it are still sold today. She also painted many portraits, especially of women.

Awards and Special Recognitions

1885 – She received an honorable mention at the Paris Salon.
1888 – She won first prize at the Académie Julian in Paris, France.
1889 – She won the Temple Gold Medal for her painting In the Wash-House. This was from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She was the first woman ever to receive this award.
1919 – She received a silver medal (médaille d'argent de la Reconnaissance française). This was the Medal of French Gratitude (La Reconnaissance Française). The French government gave this award to Anna and her mother. It was for the help her sister Augusta and brother-in-law Jules gave to France during World War I.
1924 – She became a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur in France. This is a very high award.
1936 – She became an Officier of the Légion d’honneur in France. This was for being a member for eight years.

Notable Artworks

Work	Year	Type	Owner	Notes
Catinou Knitting	1880	oil	Estelle G. (Mrs Charles W.) Livingston, Kensington, California
Seated Woman with a Red Kerchief	1886			Sold at auction in New York in 2008.
In the Wash-house	1888	oil on canvas	Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Shown at the Paris Salon in 1888. Won the Temple Gold Medal in 1889 (first woman to win).
Elizabeth Cady Stanton	1889	oil on canvas	National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.
Girl with Cat	1890	pastel	Joy L. Barker, Novato, California
Child with a Doll	1891	pastel	Longfellow National Historic Site, Cambridge, Massachusetts	Managed by the U.S. National Park Service.
A Moment's Rest, Barbizon	1891	pastel on paper		Sold at auction in Dallas, Texas, in 2014.
Girl in a Field	1893	pastel		Sold at auction in New York City.
Portrait of Miss Mary Sophia Walker	1895	oil on canvas	Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Bowdoin, Maine
Portrait of Rosa Bonheur	1898	pastel on paper	Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Bowdoin, Maine
Rosa Bonheur	1898	oil on canvas	Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Among the Lilies	1909	oil on canvas	Palace of the Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Portrait of the Violinist Goby Eberhardt	1911	painting	Museen für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte der Hansestadt Lübeck, Behnhaus Museum, Lubeck, Germany
The Artist's Father	1912	oil on canvas	M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, California