Bettina Ehrlich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bettina Ehrlich
Portrait of Bettina Bauer in 1907, by Max Kurzweil
Born	Bettina Bauer 10 March 1903 Vienna, Austria
Died	10 October 1985 London
Nationality	Austrian
Spouse(s)	Georg Ehrlich

Bettina Ehrlich, born Bettina Bauer, was a talented Austrian artist. She was born on March 10, 1903, and passed away on October 10, 1985. Bettina was known for her beautiful paintings and for illustrating many children's books. She also wrote most of these books herself. She lived in different cities like Berlin and Paris before settling in England in 1938.

Early Life and Moving to England

Bettina Bauer was born in Vienna, Austria. She studied art for three years at a special school in Vienna. This school was called the Kunstgewerbeschule, which means "school of arts and crafts." After her studies, she lived in Berlin for two years and in Paris for one year. She even showed her artwork in both cities.

On November 27, 1930, Bettina married a sculptor named Georg Ehrlich. Like Bettina, Georg was Jewish. In March 1938, a big political change happened in Austria. It became unsafe for Jewish people to live there. Georg was already in England at that time. Bettina joined him in July 1938. She bravely brought many of his artworks with her to safety.

Bettina's Artistic Work

Bettina Ehrlich used many different art materials and techniques. She painted with watercolour and oils. She also used various printing methods. These included etching, lino-cutting, lithography, and woodcut. Her skills were recognized internationally. In 1937, she won a silver medal in Paris for her hand-painted silks. This was at a big art and technology exhibition.

Creating Books for Children

Bettina started illustrating and writing books for children during the Second World War. Her first two books, Show Me Yours: A Little Paintbook and Poo-Tsee, the Water-Tortoise, came out in 1943. She used the name "Bettina" for her books. In total, she illustrated more than twenty books. Most of these stories were written by her too.

Preserving Her Husband's Art

Bettina was also very skilled in working with bronze casting. This is a way of making sculptures from metal. She also knew how to create a special finish on bronze called patination. After her husband, Georg, passed away in 1966, Bettina continued his work. She made bronze casts from his models. These casts were just as good as the ones Georg had made himself. This helped to preserve his artistic legacy.

Bettina Ehrlich passed away in a London hospital on October 10, 1985. In her will, she made sure that her husband's remaining artworks and models were sent back to Vienna.