Elizabeth du Gué Trapier (1893-1974) was an American

art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

, born in Washington, D.C., notable for her publications on

Spanish art Spanish art has been an important contributor to Western art and Spain has produced many famous and influential artists including Velázquez, Goya and Picasso. Spanish art was particularly influenced by France and Italy during the Baroque and ...

Biography

After graduating in library sciences and working for the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

, she went to New York City in 1919. There, she was one of a select group of women chosen by

Archer Milton Huntington Archer Milton Huntington (March 10, 1870 – December 11, 1955) was a philanthropist and scholar, primarily known for his contributions to the field of Hispanic Studies. He founded The Hispanic Society of America in New York City, and made n ...

to be employed by the

Hispanic Society of America The Hispanic Society of America operates a museum and reference library for the study of the arts and cultures of Spain and Portugal and their former colonies in Latin America, the Spanish East Indies, and Portuguese India. Despite the name, it ...

. Photographer Ruth Matilda Anderson and art historian

Beatrice Gilman Proske Beatrice Irene Gilman Proske (October 31, 1899 – February 2, 2002) was an art historian, specifically in Spanish and American sculpture. She was an early employee of the Hispanic Society of America in New York City, with a specialty in scu ...

were other women working for the Hispanic Society of the time. During her 40 years as

Curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

of Paintings, Trapier produced several studies on the history of Spanish art. Her book on Diego Velazquez, published in 1948, was considered a standard work. In addition, she wrote other books, catalogues and articles on other Spanish artists, such as

Jusepe de Ribera Jusepe de Ribera (1591 – 1652) was a painter and printmaker, who along with Francisco de Zurbarán, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and the singular Diego Velázquez, are regarded as the major artists of Spanish Baroque painting. Referring to ...

Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and ...

El Greco Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos ( el, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco ("The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El G ...

, or

Juan de Valdés Leal Juan de Valdés Leal (4 May 1622 – 15 October 1690) was a Spanish painter and etcher of the Baroque era. Career Valdés was born in Seville in 1622. He became a painter, sculptor, and architect. By his twenties, he was studying under Antoni ...

Awards

Trapier was awarded Spain's

Order of Civil Merit The Order of Civil Merit ( es, Orden del Mérito Civil) was established by King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1926. The order recognizes "the civic virtue of officers in the service of the Nation, as well as extraordinary service by Spanish and fore ...

in 1968. Additionally, her years of work at the Hispanic Society led to her receiving the Society's Sorolla Medal. She also received the Mitre Medal.

References

External links

WorldCat Identities
1893 births 1974 deaths American art historians Women art historians Order of Civil Merit members Spanish art {{US-art-historian-stub