Portraits with stories
In the past, women were not allowed to study, earn money, own property, make their own decisions or travel alone. If they did manage to successfully follow their own path, their names were often 'forgotten' or erased from history after their death.
I portray some of those courageous, tough or naughty women in oil paint and tell in short videos about the life or an achievement of the person behind the portrait.
The series is far from finished, but below you can see a few portraits with their videos
Tilly Devine, 1900-1970. Madam. Click on the image to watch her video (02:31) spoken in Dutch!
Tilly Devine was the 'Queen of the Night' and known for her diamond rings, lavish clothing, outrageous parties and successful houses of pleasure in Sydney.
Clara Schumann, 1819-1896. Concert pianist. Click on the image to watch her video (05:38) spoken in Dutch!
Clara Schumann. A life full of music but also challenges because Clara was almost constantly pregnant during her marriage and Robert Schumann was manic-depressive.
Mary Shelley, 1797-1851. Writer. Click on the image to watch her video (02:47) spoken in Dutch!
A decent woman was not supposed to write something like that... So her name was not allowed on the cover.
Anna van Gelder, 1613-1687. Captain's Wife. Click on the image to watch her video (02:36) spoken in Dutch!
Anna van Gelder contributed significantly to the success of naval hero Michiel de Ruyter and was his great love.
Frances Glessner Lee, 1878-1962. Forensic investigator. Click on the image to watch her video (02:55) spoken in Dutch!
Frances created dioramas of crime scenes she had studied or visited herself.
Linda Hazzard, 1867-1938. Quack. Click on the image to watch her video (03:02) spoken in Dutch!
Linda promoted her treatment as a cure for almost every ailment, from toothache to tuberculosis to cancer. In the end she died of her own therapy.
Julia Morgan, 1872-1957. Architect. Click on the image to watch her video (04:30) spoken in Dutch!
The board of examiners deliberately lowered her high score below the admission level. But Julia persevered, earned her degree in Paris and would eventually design over 700 buildings in California, the most famous being Hearst Castle in San Simeon.
Mienette van der Chijs, 1814-1895. World traveler. Click on the image to watch her video (02:11) spoken in Dutch!
The morals of the 19th century made it almost impossible for women to travel alone. Mienette didn't care. She traveled (with her lady's maid) all over the world and brought important social changes back to the Netherlands.
Jessie Tarbox, 1870-1942. First News Photographer. Click on the image to watch her video (02:57) spoken in Dutch!
She worked with glass plate cameras and equipment weighing over 50 pounds, while wearing long dresses and climbing ledges and high stairs to get the most exciting angles.
Mary Walker, 1832-1919. Army surgeon. Click on the image to watch her video (02:32) spoken in Dutch!
Eventually accepted as a woman surgeon during the American Civil War, but her clothing remained a problem.
Hester Nepping, 1774-1812. Poisoner. Click on the image to watch her video (03:00) spoken in Dutch!
Inspired by the success, she also poisoned her old father and two days later a plate of groats and plums proved fatal to her husband Jan.
Elisabeth Samson, 1715-1771. Plantation owner. Click on the image to watch her video (04:36) spoken in Dutch!
Brilliant businesswoman and the first black millionaire in the Americas.
Dr. James Barry, 1795-1865. Army Surgeon M/F. Click on the image to watch her video (03:17) spoken in Dutch!
Her secret remained hidden for a hundred years after her death.
Harriet Tubman, 1822-1913. Scout, spy and guerrilla fighter. Click on the image to watch her video (03:05) spoken in Dutch!
Her actions led to slave owners offering a $40,000 reward for her capture or death.
Alice Guy-Blanché, 1873-1968. A pioneer in feature film making. Click on the image to watch her video (05:11) spoken in Dutch!
Never heard of her? That's not surprising, because she's been skillfully erased from film history. Alice was the very first filmmaker; she conceived close-ups and special effects, had films colorized, and used sound, 30 years before Hollywood switched from silent films to talking pictures.
Pan Yuliang, 1895-1977. Visual artist. Click on the image to watch her video (04:11) spoken in Dutch!
A tough, talented, and hardworking Chinese artist, haunted by rejection, gossip, and homesickness.
Edmonia Lewis, 1822-1913. Sculptor. Click on the image to watch her video (05:01) spoken in Dutch!
'Wild Fire' she was called during her childhood among the Ojibwe Native Americans. A character trait that proved essential for a life as a Black sculptor. But this story also tells the incredible journey her marble sculpture 'The Death of Cleopatra' took.
Emily Davison, 1872-1913. Suffragette. Click on the image to watch her video (02:55) spoken in Dutch!
During the Epsom Derby, a major horse race, Emily performed her final act in her fight for women's suffrage in 1913.