The portrait painting of three girls from the Amsterdam Orphanage stands as one of the most significant pieces in the career of Thérèse Schwartze. Born in Amsterdam in 1851, she established herself as a versatile visual artist, operating as a painter, etcher, lithographer, and pastellist throughout a career defined by rigorous technical training and a focus on elite subjects.
Artistic Training and Development
Schwartze began her education under the instruction of her father, the painter Johan Georg Schwartze. Following this initial training, she spent a year at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten in Amsterdam. Her professional development extended internationally; she studied in Munich under Gabriel Max and Franz von Lenbach before moving to Paris in 1879 to continue her practice under Jean-Jacques Henner.
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Upon returning to the Netherlands, Schwartze became a member of the Arti et Amicitiae society in Amsterdam. Her international profile grew through her participation in major exhibitions, including the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where she showcased her work at the Palace of Fine Arts. Her status as a practitioner was cemented by an invitation to contribute her own portrait to the hall of painters at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Style and Subject Matter
Her output primarily focused on the portraits of Amsterdam's upper class, noted for technical vigor, characterization, and pigment quality. Major works held by the Rijksmuseum include portraits of Frederik Daniël Otto Obreen, Piet Joubert, and Dr. P.J.H. Cuypers. Additionally, she produced notable depictions such as Young Italian woman with the dog Puck. In 1906, she married Anton van Duyl, shifting her signature on works to Th. v Duyl.Schwartze.
Final Years
Schwartze lived with her extended family at Prinsengracht 1901, where she painted her housemates in 1915. Following the death of her husband on 22 July 1918, she suffered a decline in health. She died in Amsterdam on 23 December 1918. Her remains are interred at the Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery, where a memorial created by her sister serves as a designated rijksmonument.
Fast facts
- Born: 1851, Amsterdam
- Died: 1918, Amsterdam
- Citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Key works: Three girls from the Amsterdam Orphanage, Portrait of Frederik Daniël Otto Obreen
- Key associations: Arti et Amicitiae
- Notable training: Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Gabriel Max, Jean-Jacques Henner
- Burial site: Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery
Questions readers ask
Where can her work be found today?
Major collections include the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam, and various works held at Leiden University.
Did other members of her family practice art?
Yes, her sister Georgine Schwartze was a sculptor, and her niece, Lizzy Ansingh, was also a painter.
Achievements
- Notable work: Three girls from the Amsterdam Orphanage
- Notable work: Young Italian woman with the dog Puck
- Notable work: Portrait of Frederik Daniël Otto Obreen (1840-96), director Rijksmuseum
- Notable work: Queen Emma with Princess Wilhelmina on her arm
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