In the late nineteenth century, women of the German Empire had more influence than ever before. Women's rights movements gained ground despite conservative opposition. Woman artists, inventors and entrepreneurs made their presence felt. Famous woman artists of this time include Elisabet Ney, Anna Peters and Dora Hitz.
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More women were involved in the visual and literary arts, as lessons in painting and poetry were proper for young ladies. Most came from progressively thinking families who were wealthy enough to send them to art school or employ tutors, or experienced enough to teach them at home.
As demand rose in the later half of the century various art schools for women opened. Women could learn artistic skills and techniques and learn anatomy from plaster casts, but still weren't allowed to draw from a nude model. It was deemed improper and even dangerous.
Finally, near the turn of the century rules relaxed and women could finally do live studies. Sort of. In the Academies at least, the model had to be draped.
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1. Elisabet Ney (1833 - 1907)
Born in Münster (northwest Germany) in 1833, Elisabet Ney became one of the first sculptors in the world to make a living from her work. Her father was also a sculptor and taught her his skills.
Highly independent, she would not take no for an answer when she wanted to pursue studies in the arts as a professional sculptor. She went on a lengthy hunger strike until her parents capitulated. In 1852 she entered the Munich Academy of Arts as the first female sculptor ever.
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Later she studied in Berlin under Christian Daniel Rauch, the leading German sculptor of the times. She became part of his inner circle of student artists, who undertook the tradition of working at the studio of the Master.
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Elisabet Ney sought commissions from wealthy patrons, and established herself as a proficient creator of busts and statues. She immortalized people like Otto von Bismarck, Arthur Schopenhauer, Jakob Grimm and Pope Pius IX.
An advocate of natural health, she rejected the contemporary body-cinching fashions for flowing gowns and clothes made for ease of movement. Like many women artists and activists she also cut her hair short, in contrast to the predominant style of long tresses.
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2. Anna Peters (1843 - 1926)
Daughter of a Dutch artist, Anna Peters was the first woman in Germany to make a living entirely from her artwork. Her sister Pietronella was also successful as a painter, specializing in portraits and genre works of children.
Born in Mannheim, Peters lived and worked primarily in southern Germany. Her works include drawings, oil paintings and watercolors.
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She's especially known for flower still lifes in the Dutch tradition, including details such as insects; and castle decorations in Stuttgart and elsewhere. Her first known picture dates to 1860. Later work is more impressionistic.
She regularly took part in art shows in Berlin, Dresden, Stuttgart and Vienna, winning several medals. From 1880 she was a member of the association of female Berlin artists (Berliner Künstlerinnen) and in 1893 she co-founded the Württemberg Painters Association,
"to create a center for the ladies of Württemberg who are active in arts and crafts and to offer them the opportunity for them to interact with each other and, above all, to be able to give each other stimulation and support in their artistic endeavors."
Anna Peters created fertile ground for countless artists to succeed. Female interest in the fine arts spiked at this time. In 1864/5 the Royal Art School in Stuttgart had eight female students.
It wasn't long before demand forced the school had to reject some male students and organize women's classes. Women weren't allowed to study the nude, but where formal education faltered, the Württemberg Painters' Association and similar groups found a niche.
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3. Dora Hitz (1856 - 1924)
Born in southwest Germany, Dora Hitz went to Munich at age thirteen to study at the Damenmalschule der Frau Staatsrat Weber, an art school for young ladies. She attended the school for eight years, 1870 - 1878.
Hitz is known for a wide variety of work including oil paintings, book illustrations and frescoes. In 1876 she met the Queen Consort of Romania, which led to her appointment as Romanian court painter.
She traveled and found inspiration in Paris, Berlin, Brittany and Normandy. After 1880 she returned to France and became more active in women's rights and artists' groups. She exhibited regularly at the highly esteemed Salon de Beaux Arts. Among her friends was the German artist Käthe Kollwitz.
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In 1898 she was among the founding members of the influential Berlin Secession. The impetus behind the group came when the 1891 International Art Exhibition in Berlin rejected paintings by Norwegian Edvard Munch. Bad vibes grew between artists and institutions, coming to a head when the Berlin Academy rejected work from another modern artist, Walter Leistikow.
The Secession was founded as a "free association for the organization of artistic exhibitions". The establishment of the Berlin Secession involved sixty-five artists and opened roads for a bold new art form in Germany - Expressionism.
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