Elizabeth Persis Esperance Kirmse (1884,

Bournemouth Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...

– 18 May 1955, Tunbridge Wells)London Gazette 22 July 1955
/ref> was a British artist and illustrator known for her works of cats and dogs.Dominic Winter. British & Continental Paintings and Watercolors - Wednesday 5 February 2014.
p. 26. Retrieved 22 August 2014. She was the daughter of Richard and Lea Kirmse, respectively of German and Swiss origin, the proprietors of a private school in Hampshire. She produced oil paintings, works in pastels, and etchings of pets, often as commissions, and illustrated books, postcards, and calendars. She produced illustrated versions of scenes from Shakespeare using animal characters, including ''Shakespeare at the Kennels'' (1934), ''Shakespeare with the Pets'' (1935), ''Shakespeare at the Zoo'' (1936) and ''Shakespeare and the Birds'' (1938). Her illustrations were also used in books by

Frances Pitt Frances Pitt (25 January 1888 – 26 April 1964) was a British naturalist, author and a pioneer of wildlife photography. She wrote many books and numerous popular articles in periodicals on the lives of many wild animals by observations in the w ...

and

E.V. Lucas Edward Verrall Lucas, Companion of Honour, CH (11/12 June 1868 – 26 June 1938) was an English humorist, essayist, playwright, biographer, publisher, poet, novelist, short story writer and editor. Born to a Quaker family in Eltham, on the frin ...

. Her work was exhibited at the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

in 1916. Her sister,

Marguerite Kirmse Marguerite Louisa Kirmse (14 December 1885 - 12 December 1954) was a British artist who emigrated to the United States; she specialised in drawings and latterly etchings of dogs. Early life Marguerite was born in Bournemouth, then in Hampshire, ...

(1885–1954), was also an artist, specialising in etchings of dogs.

Published works

;Author and illustrator * * * * ;Illustrator * * * *

Published works

References

Further reading