Eda Nemoede Casterton facts for kids

Eda Nemoede Casterton (born April 14, 1877 – died November 15, 1969) was an American artist. She was famous for her tiny, detailed paintings. These small artworks are called portrait miniatures. She used watercolors, pastels, and oil paints.

Eda showed her art in big exhibitions. These included the Paris Salon and the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. Her beautiful paintings can be seen in important museums. These include the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Brooklyn Museum.

Eda's Early Life

Eda Wilhelmina Nemoede was born on April 14, 1877. Her hometown was Brillion, Wisconsin. Her father, Edward Carl Ludwig Nemoede, made harnesses. Her mother was Maria Georgina Bastian. Her family had German roots.

Eda was one of 11 children. Eight of them grew up to be adults. She had many siblings: Bertha, Agnes, Rudolph, Anna, Hattie, Herman, and Alma Caroline.

Even as a young girl, Eda loved to paint. She even painted on the walls of her schoolhouse! This was against her teacher's and family's wishes. She always dreamed of becoming an artist.

Her parents wanted her to study something practical. So, she learned to be a stenographer. This meant she took notes very quickly. She then worked as a secretary for a lawyer named Peter Martineau.

After her father passed away in 1895, Eda moved to Chicago. She lived there with her mother and sisters Hattie and Alma Caroline. She continued working as a stenographer.

How Eda Learned Art

Eda Nemoede Casterton, Mae Olson, a watercolor painting from 1906. It's now at the Brooklyn Museum.

Eda Nemoede Casterton, Miss Goss, a watercolor on ivory from around 1912. You can see it at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Eda studied art at the Minnesota or Minneapolis School of Fine Arts. While working as a stenographer, she spent her lunch breaks at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. There, she learned from Virginia Richmond Reynolds. Reynolds was known as the best miniature painter in America at that time.

Eda once said that miniatures were "small paintings painted in a big way." This means they were tiny but had lots of detail.

After she started working as an artist, she took more classes. She also completed art projects with her teacher. Eda even studied in France with Henry Salem Hubbell. She showed her art at the Paris Salon, a famous art show. In 1905, she received an honorable mention there.

Eda's Art Career

Eda Nemoede Casterton, Elizabeth Kennedy, a miniature portrait. This photo was shown at an exhibition in 1918.

Artist and Teacher

Eda started by painting watercolors on thin pieces of ivory. These were her miniature portraits. Examples include Miss Goss and Little Girl. In 1903, a newspaper called the Chicago Chronicle praised her work. It said she might become "one of the greatest miniature painters of America."

Her paintings were described as very detailed and strong. They showed the person's feelings well and looked very real. People also loved how clear and delicate the skin tones were in her art.

Eda especially loved painting children. She once said, "I want to paint children in the sunshine." She also wanted to paint "young girls out of doors with the wind in their hair."

She showed many of her portraits in exhibitions. In 1907, she was on the Art Committee for the Art Institute of Chicago's annual show. Eda came back from Paris in 1908. She then started teaching at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Eda Nemoede Casterton, Little Girl, a watercolor on ivory from 1920. It's at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

After she got married, Eda continued to create art. She used oil and pastels, as well as watercolors for miniatures. In 1913, she showed a portrait of her daughter, Jane, at an exhibition. She also showed Mae Olson in St. Louis in 1916. In 1918, she exhibited four miniature portraits. One of these was Elizabeth Kennedy.

Even when miniature paintings became less popular, Eda was a successful artist. She gained recognition around the world. In the 1920s, she began painting full-size portraits too.

Her artworks are kept in important collections. These include the Smithsonian Institution, The Brooklyn Museum, and The John H. Vanderpoel Art Association.

Awards and Groups

Eda Casterton received many awards for her art. She got an Honorable Mention at the International Art Union in Paris in 1907 and 1908. She won a Silver Medal at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. In 1926, she earned a Bronze medal at the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition.

She was also a member of several art groups. These included the American Society of Miniature Painters and the British Royal Society of Miniature Painters. In 1914, she was the vice president of the Chicago Societies of Miniature Painters. She also won awards from the League of the American Pen Women Exhibitions between 1949 and 1951.

Eda's Personal Life

In 1910, Eda Casterton worked as an artist in Chicago. She helped support her mother and her nieces, Eda L. and Alta V. Nemoede.

On June 29, 1911, Eda Nemoede married William John Casterton in Chicago. Their first daughter, Jane, was born in 1912. Eda's mother, Mary Nemoede, passed away in 1914. Their second daughter, Virginia, was born in February 1917. Eda was a Christian Scientist.

William Casterton died on February 9, 1948. In 1952, Eda moved to Missoula, Montana. She continued to work as an artist there and lived with her sister. Eda Nemoede Casterton passed away on November 15, 1969. She was 92 years old and died in Palos Verdes Estates, California.

See also

In Spanish: Eda Nemoede Casterton para niños