Anna Maria Schmilau née ''Niedermans'' (died 23 May 1725) was a Swedish tapestry artist. Schmilau was married to the ensign Jacob Hartwich Schmilau. In 1690, she was the instructor and head mistress of the royal tapestry handicrafts school for women on Karlberg Palace, the ''

Tapetskolan vid Karlberg Tapetskolan vid Karlberg ('Karlberg Tapestry School') or ''Tapetväfveriet vid Karlbergs slott'' ('Karlberg Tapestry Weaver's Workshop'), also called ''Karlbergsfabriken'' ('Karlberg Factory'), was a Swedish orphanage and a school for girls. It wa ...

'' which had been established by the queen,

Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark Ulrika Eleonora of Denmark (11 September 1656 – 26 July 1693) was Queen of Sweden as the wife of King Charles XI. She is often admired for her generosity and charity. The name ''Ulrike'' is a Danish version of the name; in Swedish she is ca ...

, so that women could be educated in an artist profession which would make it possible for them to support themselves as something else than domestics. Several tapestries are preserved of the work of the women at this school, which was closed after the death of the queen in 1693. However, as the tapestries are noted as manufactured by the team of the school and not signed by an individual artist, the work of Anna Maria Schmilau can not be singled out.

References

* Svenskt konstnärslexikon del V, sid 74, Allhems Förlag, Malmö. Libris 8390293 {{DEFAULTSORT:Schmilau, Anna Maria Swedish women artists 1725 deaths Swedish textile artists People of the Swedish Empire Swedish courtiers Tapestry artists 17th-century Swedish educators 17th-century Swedish artists 18th-century women textile artists 18th-century textile artists 18th-century Swedish educators 18th-century Swedish artists 17th-century women textile artists