1828 - 1905

Faktblad

  • Works on this site: 1
  • Art period: 19th Century
  • Top 3 works: Wildflowers
  • Museums on this site: Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Born: 1828, Watertown, United States
  • Top-ranked work: Wildflowers

A Life in Watercolor

Born in 1828 in Watertown, Massachusetts, Ellen Robbins was the youngest child of a factory owner. Following the death of her father and the subsequent burning of his factory, Robbins turned to watercolor painting to help support her family. While she received some training from Stephen Salisbury Tuckerman, she was largely self-taught. Her skill in botanical illustration became widely recognized, particularly for her paintings of wildflowers and autumn leaves. Her work was noted for its realism; contemporary accounts suggested her flowers were so lifelike that bees might land upon them, and her leaf paintings were occasionally mistaken for actual leaves.

Robbins's success allowed her to expand her artistic reach beyond individual paintings. She produced books of flower illustrations and created botanical designs for various mediums, including china, furniture, tiles, and textiles. In the 1840s, she also began teaching watercolor painting. Her reputation grew to the point that she was hired by the lithographer Louis Prang to create a series of flowers and autumn leaves for prints. Additionally, she was invited to create a frieze for Wellesley College.

Artistic Legacy and Travels

Throughout her career, Robbins's work became fashionable in both America and England. She was a contributor to the first annual exhibition of the American Watercolor Society in 1867/1868. Her travels often took her abroad or to Maine, where she stayed at Appledore House and painted the flowers from the garden of the writer Celia Thaxter. In 1896, she shared reflections on her life through a series of articles in New England Magazine titled "Reminiscences of a Flower Painter."

Her published works include:

  • Autumnal Leaves (1868, 18 watercolors)

Frågor och svar

Kan jag bläddra i Ellen Robbinss verk efter färgpalett?

För att hitta verk av Ellen Robbins i en specifik färgpalett, besök artistens sida för sortering efter färg: Efter färgpalett.

Under vilka andra namn är Ellen Robbins känd?

Ellen Robbins är även känd som إيلين روبنز.

Kan jag utforska Ellen Robbinss verk via nyckelord?

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Bläddra bland Ellen Robbinss verk efter stilriktning på artistens sida för Alla konststilar.

Självtest

Det finns endast ett korrekt svar på varje fråga.

Fråga 1:
In which city was Ellen Robbins born?
Fråga 2:
What was the subject matter of the book Robbins published in 1868?
Fråga 3:
Who was the lithographer that hired Robbins to create a series of flowers and autumn leaves for prints?
Fråga 4:
According to a contemporary, what might happen because of the realism in her flower paintings?
Fråga 5:
With whom did Robbins often spend time in Maine during the summer?