Margaretha "Etha" Tekla Johanna Fles (1857-1948) was a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

artist and art critic.

Biography

Fles was born on 1 May 1857 in

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...

. She attended the ''

Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten The Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten (State Academy of Fine Arts) was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam. It is a classical academy, a place where philosophers, academics and artists meet to test and exchange ideas and knowledge. The school supports ...

'' ((State Academy of Fine Arts) in Amsterdam. She studied with

August Allebé August Allebé (19 April 1838 – 10 January 1927) was an artist and teacher from the Northern Netherlands. His early paintings were in a romanticism, romantic style, but in his later work he was an exponent of realism (arts), realism and impress ...

, , and

Anton Mauve Anthonij "Anton" Rudolf Mauve (18 September 18385 February 1888) was a Dutch realist painter who was a leading member of the Hague School. He signed his paintings 'A. Mauve' or with a monogrammed 'A.M.'. A master colorist, he was a very signific ...

. She was one of the first women admitted to the Academy along with J.H. Derkinderen-Besier,

Grada Hermina Marius Grada Hermina Marius or G.H. Marius (June 7, 1854 – November 8, 1919) was a Dutch writer and painter. Marius was born in Hengelo but was trained under Jan Striening (1827-1903) in Deventer.

, and Wally Moes. Fles was a member of

Arti et Amicitiae Arti et Amicitiae (lat .: For Art and Friendship) is a Dutch artist's society founded in 1839, and located on the Rokin in Amsterdam. The Society (also called Arti for short) has played a key role in the Netherlands art scene and in particular i ...

, , the

Pulchri Studio Pulchri Studio (Latin:"For the study of beauty") is a Dutch art society, art institution and art studio based in The Hague ('s-Gravenhage), Netherlands. This institute began in 1847 at the home of painter Lambertus Hardenberg. Since 1893 the c ...

, and ''Vereeniging Voor de Kunst Utrecht''. After leaving ''Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten'' Fles became interested in Impressionism along with the contemporary criticism of

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...

and

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and politi ...

. She traveled to Paris in 1900 to represent Arti et Amicitiae at the Exposition Universelle. In Paris she met

Medardo Rosso Medardo Rosso (; 21 June 1858 – 31 March 1928) was an Italian sculptor. He is considered, like his contemporary and admirer Auguste Rodin, to be an artist working in a Post Impressionism, post-Impressionist style. Biography and works Rosso wa ...

(1858-1928) an Italian sculptor with whom she maintained a friendship until his death. She was a patron and mentor, moving to Rome in 1909 to set up her own studio. She returned to the Netherlands for a few years from 1915 to 1917, returning to Italy where she stayed until 1934. She settled in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

where she had previously built a villa. She lived in the villa until 1943 when it was confiscated by the Germans during World War II. She then lived in a monastery in

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

until the Liberation in 1945 when she returned to Bergen. She died there on 31 January 1948. Her work is in the collection of the

Kröller-Müller Museum The Kröller-Müller Museum () is a national art museum and sculpture garden, located in the Hoge Veluwe National Park in Otterlo in the Netherlands. The museum, founded by art collector Helene Kröller-Müller within the extensive grounds of her ...

, the

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the St ...

and the

Drents Museum The Drents Museum () is an art and history museum in Assen, Drenthe, in the Netherlands. The museum was opened in 1854. It has a collection of prehistorical artifacts, applied art, and visual art. The museum also has temporary exhibitions. In 20 ...

Gallery

Forum Romanum (originele titel op object), RP-P-2003-225.jpg, ''Forum Romanum'' Molen bij een boerderij, RP-P-1910-2025.jpg, ''Molen bij een boerderij'' Rothenburg (originele titel op object), RP-P-1910-2014.jpg, ''Rothenburg''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fles, Etha 1857 births 1948 deaths Artists from Utrecht 19th-century Dutch women artists 20th-century Dutch women artists