230. Ellen Von Meyern
Maori Woman & Child
Watercolour
28 x 20 cm
Signed, inscribed 'Auckland' & dated 1904
est. $650 - 950
Relative Size: Maori Woman & Child
Relative size

Please note this is a late entry and is not included in the printed catalogue (online only).

Lot 100e. All late entries will be offered directly after Lot 100.

The following is from a brochure published by Auckland City Art Gallery, 1955

'EARLY IDENTITIES' AN EXHIBITION OF PORTRAITS HELD AT THE AUCKLAND CITY ART GALLERY DECEMBER 19TH TO JANUARY 20TH 1955-56

Little seems known of Ellen von Meyern eventhough many people remember her. She is remem-bered as a pupil of the Elam School of Fine Art,a young woman full of vitality and confidence.She had sisters whom she often painted, otherwisethe names of her models often gave rather an exoticflavour to the catalogue - ' Mam'zelle Nitouche ',' Madame Boeufoe '.1901 was the first year in which Miss vonMeyern exhibited with the Auckland Society ofArts, and in the Star's review of the 1903 exhibition,two of her portraits were praised. It was stated thatshe showed ' a decided aptitude for this branch ofart and with careful study should develop into aportrait painter far above the average'. It waspointed out that certain faults apparent, obviously of youth, were 'compensated by promise ofundeveloped power'.In 1905 there appeared a most enthusiastic notice of her portrait, included in this exhibition, of MrWilliam Leys. Miss von Meyern showed 'mostprogress of any of the young contributors'. She had' gone far beyond last year's promise'. The portrait of the late Mr William Leys, painted from a photograph after his death, was ' an extraordinaryexample of success'.There is less said about her in the succeedingyears except that in 1912 she painted a portrait ofPope Pius X, presumably from a portrait, and itwas stated that it was decidedly the best canvas shehad done. After 1912 little is known about her. Shemay have married and painted under another name,but those who remember her think of her as some-one in Auckland only temporarily and it seems more likely that she moved away, perhaps out of the country

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