February 13, 2018
“SELF PORTRAIT, ELIZABETH NOURSE”
By Elizabeth Nourse
Along with Mary Cassatt and Cecilia Beaux, Mt. Healthy, Ohio native Elizabeth Nourse (1859–1938) was one of the few women painters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to gain acceptance by the male juries of the Paris Salon and achieve international recognition for her work. After graduating from the McMicken School of Design in Cincinnati (now the Art Academy of Cincinnati) Nourse moved to Paris, was one of the first American women elected to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, and went on to earn her living as a professional artist for 55 years. In 2015 Eric Ruegg led an ArtWorks Cincinnati team in recreating this important painting of Nourse at 8th and Walnut Streets. Originally painted in 1892 Nourse’s self-portrait used a powerful pose of the artist looking directly at the viewer that was typically reserved for male subjects, but speaks volumes to the strength and talent of the artist. @artworkscincy
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