A painting titled Melisande stands as a hallmark of the career of Marianne Stokes, an Austrian artist whose transition from rustic naturalism to medieval romanticism defined her professional output. Born in Graz in 1855, Stokes navigated the shifting landscape of nineteenth-century European art through extensive study and travel, eventually establishing herself as a significant figure within the British art scene.
Early Training and Influences
Born Marianne Preindlsberger, she began her formal education in Munich under the instruction of Lindenschmit. Success arrived early with the creation of Mutterglück, a work that secured a scholarship and provided the financial means for further study in France. During her time in France, she trained under Colin, Pascal Adolphe Jean Dagnan-Bouveret, and Gustave Courtois. She adopted the aesthetics of the rustic naturalist Jules Bastien-Lepage, a stylistic influence that persisted in her compositions even as her thematic focus shifted toward biblical and medieval subjects.
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In 1883, while in the company of Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck, she visited Pont-Aven. Following their union, the couple engaged in a peripatetic lifestyle, visiting Ireland in 1885 and spending consecutive summers with the Skagen Painters in Denmark, where they formed friendships with Michael and Anna Ancher. Later, the Stokeses settled in St Ives, where she participated in the Newlyn School. While her husband focused on landscapes, she produced detailed portraits of local attire.
Technical Shifts and Exhibition History
Stokes exhibited her first salon painting, Reflection, at the Royal Academy in 1885. Her professional footprint expanded to include the Grosvenor Gallery, the New Gallery, and the Society of British Artists. By 1893, her work appeared at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Over time, she moved away from oils, adopting tempera and gesso in a style reminiscent of Pre-Raphaelite methods and early fresco techniques, a change influenced by the translations of Christiana Herringham. She held a joint exhibition with her husband at the Fine Art Society in 1900 and eventually served as an Associate of the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours.
Legacy and Final Years
The artistic partnership between the couple continued until her death in 1927. She was buried alongside her husband, who died in 1935, at the Mortlake Roman Catholic Cemetery in London. Her work remains part of the historical record of turn-of-the-century European art, highlighted by her inclusion in the 2018 exhibition Women in Paris 1850-1900.
Fast facts
- Born: 1855, Graz, Austria
- Died: 1927, London
- Primary medium: Painting
- Art styles: Genre, history, rustic naturalism, medieval romanticism
- Notable work: Melisande
- Spouse: Adrian Scott Stokes
- Key regions worked: France, Denmark, Ireland, Hungary, Slovakia
- Membership: Newlyn School, Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours
Questions readers ask
What subjects did Marianne Stokes typically paint?
Her work evolved from rustic naturalism to include medieval romantic, biblical, and portraiture themes, particularly documenting traditional Slovak garments.
Where is she buried?
Marianne Stokes and her husband Adrian Scott Stokes are buried at the Mortlake Roman Catholic Cemetery in London.
Achievements
- Notable work: Melisande
