Elizabeth Strong (1855–1941) was an American artist, known for landscape, animal and figure paintings. She was nicknamed, "the Rosa Bonheur of America".

Biography

Elizabeth Strong was born on February 1, 1855, in Westport, Connecticut, to parents Margaret Dewing Bixby Strong and Reverend Joseph Dwight Strong. She and her older brother Joseph Dwight Strong Jr. attended California School of Design (now known as San Francisco Art Institute) in the early years of the school, studying with

Virgil Macey Williams Virgil Macey Williams (October 29, 1830 - December 18, 1886) was an American painter, and the director of the San Francisco School of Design (now known as San Francisco Art Institute). In 1872, he co-founded the San Francisco Art Association wi ...

. After graduating in 1878, Strong traveled to Monterey, California and met Jules Tavernier, who offered her art studio space. After six months in Monterey, Strong returned to San Francisco and received many commissions for dog portraits. She had a shared art studio with Nellie Hopps at the Old Municipal Court building (Genella Building) at 728

Montgomery Street Montgomery Street is a north-south thoroughfare in San Francisco, California, in the United States. It runs about 16 blocks from the Telegraph Hill neighborhood south through downtown, terminating at Market Street Market Street may refer to: * ...

in San Francisco, it was a building that housed many artists including her former professor Virgil Macey Williams and Jules Tavernier. Around 1881, she traveled to Europe and ended up staying for almost ten years, studying art with many masters. In 1883, she showed her first work at the Paris Salon. She returned to the United States in 1890, to Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. She studied in the summer of 1894 with

William Merritt Chase William Merritt Chase (November 1, 1849October 25, 1916) was an American painter, known as an exponent of Impressionism and as a teacher. He is also responsible for establishing the Chase School, which later would become Parsons School of Design. ...

at Shinnecock Hills Summer School. In 1896, she returned to California, living in both San Francisco and the

East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa countie ...

. She had never married. In 1909, Strong participated in the

Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition The Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, acronym AYP or AYPE, was a world's fair held in Seattle in 1909 publicizing the development of the Pacific Northwest. It was originally planned for 1907 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Klondike Gold R ...

and won a silver medal for her painting of cattle grazing in the Cragmont Hills in North Berkeley. Her work is included in various public museum collections, including

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Crocker Art Museum The Crocker Art Museum is the oldest art museum in the Western United States, located in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1885, the museum holds one of the premier collections of Californian art. The collection includes American works dating f ...

Monterey Museum of Art The Monterey Museum of Art (MMA) an art museum located in Monterey, California. It was founded in 1959 as a chapter of the American Federation of Arts. The Monterey Museum of Art collects, preserves, and interprets the art of California from the ...

, among others. Strong came to

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and ric ...

in the 1920s.

Death

Strong died in Carmel-by-the-Sea, on October 30, 1941.

References

1855 births 1941 deaths Artists from Westport, Connecticut Artists from Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Painters from San Francisco San Francisco Art Institute alumni {{US-painter-stub