Elizabeth Jane Gardner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Jane Gardner
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Gardner in c.1860
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| Born | October 4, 1837 Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S.
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| Died | January 28, 1922 (aged 84) Paris, France
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| Known for | Painting |
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Elizabeth Jane Gardner Bouguereau (born October 4, 1837 – died January 28, 1922) was an American painter. She was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States. Elizabeth lived most of her life in Paris, France, where she also passed away.
She studied art in Paris with famous painters like Hugues Merle, Jules Joseph Lefebvre, and William-Adolphe Bouguereau. After Bouguereau's first wife died, Elizabeth and William-Adolphe became very close. They got married in 1896, after his mother, who did not approve of their relationship, passed away.
Elizabeth Gardner's painting style was very similar to Bouguereau's. She even said, "I would rather be known as the best imitator of Bouguereau than be nobody!" This shows how much she admired his work.
One of her most famous paintings is The Shepherd David Triumphant (1895). It shows a young shepherd with a lamb he has saved. Other works by her include Cinderella, Cornelia and Her Jewels, and The Farmer's Daughter.
Contents
Early Life and Art Education
Elizabeth Gardner first went to the Young Ladies' Female Academy in Exeter. Then, she attended the Lasell Female Seminary in Auburndale, Massachusetts. There, she studied both art and different languages. She learned English, French, Italian, and German.
She finished her studies in 1856. For the next few years, she taught French at a new school in Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1864, after teaching art at Lasell Seminary, she moved to France with her former teacher, Imogene Robinson.
To earn money, Elizabeth copied paintings by famous artists in galleries. Later that year, she tried to join the École des Beaux-Arts. This was the most respected art school in Paris. However, her application was turned down. At that time, the school only accepted male students. Women were not allowed to apply until 1897, many years later. But Elizabeth did not give up. She kept taking private art classes and built a great collection of her own artworks.
Her Art Career
Soon after arriving in Paris, Elizabeth Gardner started copying paintings at the Luxembourg Museum. Her art studio became a popular place for Americans. They would ask her to make copies of their favorite European paintings. In a letter to her brother, she wrote that Americans were buying many pictures. She was happy that her clients were pleased with her work.
In 1868, Elizabeth Gardner became the first American woman to show her art at the Paris Salon. The Paris Salon was a very important art exhibition. Her paintings were accepted into 25 Paris Salons during her career. In 1872, she won a gold medal at the Salon. This made her the first woman ever to receive such an award. Elizabeth Gardner Bouguereau had more paintings accepted into the Salon than almost any other woman painter in history. She even had more than most men.
To get into art classes that were only for men, Elizabeth sometimes wore men's clothes. This allowed her to attend drawing classes at the Manufacture Nationale des Gobelins et de la Savonnerie. In 1873, she was finally allowed into the Académie Julian, which had previously only accepted men. There, she studied with Jules Joseph Lefebvre and Bouguereau.
Elizabeth also showed her artwork at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, in 1893. Her paintings were displayed in the Palace of Fine Arts and The Woman's Building.
Relationship with Bouguereau
Elizabeth Gardner's relationship with William-Adolphe Bouguereau was well-known in the art world of Paris. They were together for seventeen years before they got married. They waited to marry because they were afraid of upsetting Bouguereau's mother. When she passed away in 1896 at the age of 91, Elizabeth and William-Adolphe got married quickly.
Mary French, the wife of American sculptor Daniel Chester French, remembered visiting Bouguereau's studio. She recalled that Elizabeth Gardner was often there. She noted that Elizabeth, a woman from a strict background, was living in Paris and doing something that everyone in the city was talking about.
Her Personality
Elizabeth Gardner was a very strong and independent person. Like the artist Rosa Bonheur, she even got a special permit from the police. This permit allowed her to wear men's clothes. She did this so she could attend life drawing classes at the famous Gobelins tapestry works.
She was also a smart businesswoman and very good with languages. She could easily switch from English to French, Italian, or German. This helped her make her guests and potential clients feel comfortable. Elizabeth was good at social events and knew how to get publicity for her work. She also knew how to build relationships that helped her career. Her ability to connect with people in Paris led to many sales and portrait commissions.
La Confidence and Its Meaning
One of Elizabeth Gardner's most famous paintings is La Confidence (around 1880). This painting is now part of the collection at the Georgia Museum of Art. The painting shows two young peasant girls sharing a secret in a quiet whisper.
This painting was given to the Lucy Cobb Institute, a school for girls in Athens, Georgia. It hung in the school's parlor and was much loved. It was seen as having a "moralizing purpose" for the young girls studying there. In 1991, a filmmaker named James Herbert (director) used Gardner's painting and others from the Georgia Museum of Art. He reinterpreted the image in the music video for the Athens band R.E.M.'s song "Low," from their album Out of Time.
Gallery
Gardner's work looks very similar to that of her husband, William-Adolphe Bouguereau.
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La Confidence (1880)
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David the Shepherd
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Gardner-Garde – Similar to Bouguereau's The Bohemian
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See also
In Spanish: Elizabeth Jane Gardner para niños
