Ester Ellqvist facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ester Ellqvist
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Self-portrait, 1910
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| Born |
Ruth Elisabet Ellqvist
4 October 1880 Ausås, Sweden
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| Died | 20 November 1918 (aged 38) Vättern, Sweden
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| Resting place | Jönköping, Sweden |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Education | Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, Stockholm |
| Movement | Modernism |
| Spouse(s) | John Bauer |
Ester Ellqvist (born October 4, 1880 – died November 20, 1918) was a talented Swedish artist. She was also a model and the wife of the famous painter and illustrator John Bauer. Ester studied art at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. She even spent a year studying art in Germany and Italy with her husband. Sadly, Ester, her husband, and their three-year-old son died in 1918 when their boat sank, taking the lives of everyone on board.
Contents
About Ester Ellqvist
Her Early Life
Ester Ellqvist was born on October 4, 1880, in Ausås, a place in Skåne. Her father, Karl Kristersson Ellqvist, was a teacher. Ester grew up in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. She was known for being a lively person who enjoyed the busy social life of the city.
Her Art Education
In the late 1890s, Ester studied at the Technical School in Stockholm. This school, later called Konstfack, helped her gain the skills she needed. Her goal was to get into the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. Her brothers, Oscar and Ernst, who became photographers, also went to this school. Her sister, Gerda, who taught needlework, attended as well.
Ester began her studies at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in 1900. The academy had started accepting female students in 1864. However, the education path for women was different from men's. While at the academy, Ester also took classes at A. Tallbergs school, where she learned etching.
Ester was a very dedicated and skilled student. This was during the early days of the Modernist art movement. It was also at the end of the National Romanticism period. Famous artists like Carl Larsson and Anders Zorn were part of this period. Ester and her friends were among the students who protested against the old-fashioned ideas of the school. This protest led to the creation of an important group called Konstnärsförbundet (Artists Association). Ester graduated from the academy in 1905.
Marriage and Family
Ester met John Bauer at the Academy of Arts in 1900. They often wrote letters to each other when they were apart. In these letters, they shared their deepest thoughts and feelings.
Ester and John got married on December 18, 1906. At first, they were very loving and happy together. However, they sometimes faced difficulties because they wanted different things. Ester liked living near Stockholm, while John preferred being close to the forest. Ester often posed as a model for many of John's paintings. For example, in his work Fairy Princess, she looks innocent and pure. In 1908, John's father helped them financially. This allowed them to travel through southern Germany and Italy for a year to study art.
Ester and John had a son named Bengt, whom they lovingly called "Putte." He was born in 1915.
By 1917, their marriage was struggling. Their love for each other had started to fade. Ester had largely set aside her own dreams as an artist to focus on her role as a wife.
Tragic Death
Ester, John, and their three-year-old son died on November 20, 1918. They were traveling on a boat called the SS Per Brahe to Stockholm. The boat sank in Lake Vättern. All 24 people on board, including 8 passengers and 16 crew members, lost their lives. On August 18, 1922, the Bauer family was buried at the Östra cemetery in Jönköping.
Her Artistic Career
Ester Ellqvist's self-portrait is featured on the cover of a book. The book is called Bakom maskerna: det dolda budskapet hos kvinnliga 1880-talsförfattare. This translates to "Behind the masks: the hidden message in female 1880s writer."
Images for kids
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The Fairy Princess, 1904, an oil sketch by John Bauer.
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Ester in the Cottage, 1907, a watercolor by John Bauer.
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Ester Ellqvist and John Bauer.
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Ester and her son, Putte.
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Porträtt av en ung kvinna med rysch (Portrait of a young woman in ruffles) by Ester Ellqvist.
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Dubbelporträtt av barn (Double portrait of children) by Ester Ellqvist.
