Thérèse Schwartze

Thérèse’s father primed her from a young age to lead an artist’s life. When he died, she took over his studio and became the breadwinner at the age of 22. Her painting business became a real family undertaking; her mother saw to the bookkeeping and her sisters helped receive the clients.

Through a combination of impasto and finer strokes of paint Schwartze created a playful and vivacious effect. The folds in the young woman’s sleeves are coarsely painted, while her face and locks of hair are finely modelled.

Schwartze garnered a great deal of praise with her pastel crayon portraits. In just a few hours she succeeded in capturing her sitters’ likeness in smooth strokes and clear tones. Notice the lifelike rendering of the costly fabrics of their clothes, such as silk, tulle and fur!

An intimate atmosphere emanates from the portraits Schwartze made of her loved ones. In the likeness of her niece Lizzy Ansingh, the strong contrast between light and dark in her face and between red and green in her clothes creates a powerful aura. Lizzy’s penetrating gaze holds our attention.

Thérèse was known for her social skills and easy conversation. She developed an extensive network of prominent figures in the art world, including Rijksmuseum architect Pierre Cuypers. Through her niece Lizzy Ansingh, she became a role model for the Amsterdam ‘Joffers’, a group of female artists at the beginning of the 20th century of which Lizzy was a member.

Schwartze made a name for herself as a portraitist of the elite, who paid substantial sums for her paintings. She was also discovered by members of the Dutch royal family who sat to her in their palaces multiple times.

Schwartze was known to work fast. According to an estimate from the year after her death, she produced about 1000 drawings, pastels and paintings in the course of her career which spanned roughly 40 years.

Munich, Paris, England, Spain: Schwartze travelled widely at a time when this was not easy. As an unaccompanied woman it was even more unusual. Her ambition, daring and perseverance, which resulted in her success and financial independence, may account for her singular position.

It was important to have a finely appointed space to receive high-ranking clients. To this end, Schwartze bought several neighbouring buildings on Prinsengracht, which she merged into one large studio. She later expanded this with her own exhibition gallery. This was her calling card.

Owing to her many successes at exhibitions at home and abroad Schwartze became a true celebrity. For her achievements, in 1896 she was the first woman ever to be made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.