Thérèse Schwartze (20 December 185123 December 1918) was a
Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
portrait
painter
Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
.
Life
Thérèse Schwartze was born on 20 December 1851 in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
in the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. She was the daughter of the painter
Johan Georg Schwartze, who grew up in Philadelphia and trained in Düsseldorf.
Schwartze received her first training from her father, before studying for a year at the
Rijksacademie 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 ...
. She then travelled to Munich and studied under
Gabriel Max and
Franz von Lenbach
Franz Seraph Lenbach, after 1882, Ritter von Lenbach (13 December 1836 – 6 May 1904), was a German painter known primarily for his portraits of prominent personalities from the nobility, the arts, and industry. Because of his standing in society ...
. In 1879 she went to
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
to continue her studies under
Jean-Jacques Henner
Jean-Jacques Henner (5 March 1829 – 23 July 1905) was a French painter, noted for his use of sfumato and chiaroscuro in painting nudes, religious subjects and portraits.
Biography
Henner was born at Bernwiller (Alsace). He began his stud ...
. When she returned to Amsterdam she became 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 in ...
. Schwartze exhibited her work at the
Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts is a monumental structure located in the Marina District of San Francisco, California, originally built for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition to exhibit works of art. Completely rebuilt from 1964 to 197 ...
at the 1893
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ...
in Chicago, Illinois.
Death
On 22 July 1918 her husband, Anton van Duyl, died. As Schwartze was in bad health at that time (and tried to hide this), the death of her husband was a blow that she could not overcome easily. She died in Amsterdam on 23 December 1918 from a sudden illness.
Schwartze was buried at
Zorgvlied cemetery in Amsterdam. Later she was reburied at the
Nieuwe Ooster cemetery in Amsterdam, where her sister created a memorial to her, modelled after her death mask, which is now a
rijksmonument
A (, ) is a national heritage site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
At the end of February 2015, the Netherlands had 61,822 l ...
.
Works

Her portraits, mostly of Amsterdam's elite, are remarkable for excellent character drawing, breadth and vigour of handling and rich quality of pigment. She signed her works "Th. Schwartze" and was married late in life in 1906 to Anton van Duyl, whereupon she signed works with "Th. v Duyl.Schwartze".
She was one of the few women painters who had been honoured by an invitation to contribute their portraits to the hall of painters at the
Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery ( ; , ) is a prominent art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of ...
in
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
. Some of her best pictures, notably a portrait of
Piet J Joubert, and ''
Three Inmates of the Orphanage at Amsterdam,'' are at 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 S ...
, and one entitled ''Five Amsterdam Orphans'' at the
Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
.
Her niece
Lizzy Ansingh, who she painted a few times, also became a painter. Her sister
Georgine Schwartze
Georgine Schwartze (12 April 1854 – 8 August 1935) was a Dutch sculptor. She is most notable for her design and execution of a marble tomb for her sister Thérèse which was declared a national monument by the Dutch government.
Biography
Bor ...
became a sculptor. She lived with her extended family at
Prinsengracht
The Prinsengracht is a -long canal that runs parallel to the Keizersgracht in the center of Amsterdam. The canal, named after the Prince of Orange, is the fourth of the four main canals belonging to the Grachtengordel, canal belt.
History
Const ...
1901 in Amsterdam and painted her housemates in 1915:
;Works of Thérèse Schwartze by museum
*Jewish antique dealer,
Joods Historisch Museum
The (; ), part of the Jewish Cultural Quarter, is a museum in Amsterdam dedicated to Jewish history, culture and religion, in the Netherlands and worldwide. It is the only museum in the Netherlands dedicated to Jewish history.
History
The Jood ...
*Portrait of Mozes de Vries van Buren, Joods Historisch Museum
*Portrait of Abraham Carel Wertheim, Joods Historisch Museum
*Portrait of P. M. Wertheim-Wertheim, Joods Historisch Museum
*Portrait of Dr. J.L. Dusseau (1870),
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 S ...
*Young Italian woman with the dog Puck (1879), Rijksmuseum
*Portrait of Peter Marius Tutein Nolthenius (1879/1880), Rijksmuseum
*Portrait of Frederik Daniël Otto Obreen (1883), Rijksmuseum
*Three Inmates of the Orphanage at Amsterdam (1885), Rijksmuseum
*Portrait of
Dr. P.J.H. Cuypers (1885), Rijksmuseum
*Portrait of Alida Elisabeth Grevers (1889), Rijksmuseum
*Portrait of
Piet Joubert
Petrus Jacobus Joubert (20 January 1831 – 28 March 1900), better known as Piet Joubert (''Slim Piet'', Smart Pete), was a South African politician who served as the commandant–general of the South African Republic from 1880 to 1900. He als ...
(1890), Rijksmuseum
*Portrait of
Paul Joseph Constantin Gabriël (1899), Rijksmuseum
*Portrait of Amelia Eliza van Leeuwen (1900), Rijksmuseum
*Portrait of
Lizzie Ansingh (1902), Rijksmuseum
*Portrait of Maria Catharina Josephine Jordan (1902), Rijksmuseum
*Portrait of C.M van der Goot-Mabé Grevingh (1883),
Teylers Museum
Teylers Museum () is an Art museum, art, Natural history museum, natural history, and science museum in Haarlem, Netherlands. Established in 1778, Teylers Museum was founded as a centre for contemporary art and science. The historic centre of the ...
*Several drawings, Leiden University
*Portrait of Prof Adriaan Heynsius (1883), Leiden University
*Portrait of Prof
Gustaaf Schlegel
Gustaaf Schlegel (30 September 184015 October 1903) was a Dutch sinologist and field naturalist. E. Bruce Brooks (9 June 2004)Gustaaf Schlegel, Sinology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, retrieved 17 September 2011
Life and career
Gustaaf S ...
(c. 1900), Leiden University
*Portrait of Prof A.P.N. Franchimont (1899), Leiden University
*Portrait of
Prof. M.J. de Goeje (c. 1905), Leiden University
*Portrait of Prof Blok (1914), Leiden University
Gallery
File:Thérèse Schwartze - Drie meisjes uit het Amsterdamse Burgerweeshuis.jpg, ''Three Inmates of the Orphanage at Amsterdam'' (1885)
File:Thérèse Schwartze 013.jpg, Queen Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in Dutch history, as ...
(1898)
File:APNFranchimont.jpg, Prof. Franchimont (1899)
File:Thérèse Schwartze - Portret van Lizzie Ansingh.jpg, ''Portrait of Lizzy'' (1902)
File:Thérèse Schwartze 015.jpg, ''Portrait of Geradine Marguerite van Hardenbroek'' (1903)
File:Mijne huisgenooten (ca. 1915) door Thérèse Schwartze.jpg, ''The Inmates of my House'' (1915)
File:Thérèse Schwartze 024.jpg, ''Portrait of a Girl'' (1918)
File:Thérèse Schwartze 006.jpg, ''Portrait of Johanna Eugenia Theadora Van Hoorn Schouwe'' (1918)
References
Attribution:
*
*''Art work listings are translated from the
Dutch Wikipedia
The Dutch Wikipedia () is the Dutch-language edition of the free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. It was founded on 19 June 2001.
As of , the Dutch Wikipedia is the -largest Wikipedia edition, with articles. It was the fourth Wikipedia ed ...
''.
Sources
* Hollema, Cora and Kouwenhoven, Pieternel, ''Thérèse Schwartze, Painting for a Living,'' 2nd edn Amsterdam 2021, , www.thereseschwartze.com
External links
* http://www.thereseschwartze.com
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwartze, Therese
1851 births
1918 deaths
Dutch portrait painters
Painters from Amsterdam
19th-century Dutch painters
20th-century Dutch painters
20th-century Dutch women artists
19th-century Dutch women painters