Anna Maria von Phul (1786–1823) was an American artist who used

watercolor Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

to illustrate local Creole culture, including architecture, clothing, hairstyles, and other aspects of daily life. Much of her body of work was created in the

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

region.

Life

Anna Maria von

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was born in 1786 in Philadelphia. She soon moved to Kentucky with her widowed mother and siblings. While in Kentucky, von Phul studied French, drawing, and watercolor at a young-ladies academy in Lexington operated by

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

and Mary Beck, painting some of the town's architecture. Art was typically considered a hobby for many of the more elite young women in the early 1800s, but von Phul showed a particular talent and was encouraged by her family and instructors to continue her artistic studies. Von Phul chose instead to devote her time to her family, creating works of art only in her free time. She never pursued art professionally. Most of her drawings and watercolors were created as gifts for her friends and family. Around 1817–8, von Phul traveled to

to visit her brother,

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

, who was a businessman in St. Louis, and her sister, who was living in the neighboring town of

Edwardsville, Illinois Edwardsville is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Illinois, and is a suburb of St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri ...

. Between 1817 and 1821, von Phul created the majority of her remaining artwork. None of von Phul's sketches and watercolors produced after 1821 survive. She died on July 28, 1823, while visiting her sister in Edwardsville. An obituary was published in the ''Edwardsville Spectator''.

Artwork

Anna Maria von Phul's earlier sketches and watercolors are mostly limited to landscapes and silhouettes. Her later works depict various aspects of the local Creole life in the St. Louis area, which later earned her the title, "the Eyes of the Missouri Territory". Her watercolors are small and painted delicately, but provide significant insights into Creole life in St. Louis during the early 1800s. These paintings are especially important because they illustrate the colors of the Creole culture. Some of her works depict the people of the Creole culture as working class. The subjects of her artwork include landscapes, buildings, furniture, clothing, jewelry, hairstyles, horse-drawn carriages, and people engaged in typical everyday activities. She filled multiple sketchbooks with her work, which were later rediscovered by her descendants in 1953 and donated to the

Missouri Historical Society The Missouri Historical Society was founded in St. Louis on August 11, 1866. Founding members created the historical society "for the purpose of saving from oblivion the early history of the city and state". Organization The Missouri Historica ...

. A short biography by Cathy Johnson was published in 2001.

References

External links

Missouri Women

Missouri Remembers: Artists in Missouri through 1951
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phul, Anna Maria von Painters from Missouri Artists from St. Louis 1786 births 1823 deaths Artists from Philadelphia Painters from Pennsylvania 19th-century American painters 19th-century American women artists American women painters American watercolorists Women watercolorists