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by Robert Henri (c.1914)
Alice Ellen Klauber (May 19, 1871, San Diego - July 5, 1951, Lemon Grove) was an American landscape painter.
Biography
Her parents, Abraham Klauber (1831–1911) and Theresa née Epstein (1841–1921), emigrated from what was then Bohemia in 1869 and settled in San Diego, where he became a merchant. Alice was the fifth of what eventually came to be twelve siblings, four of whom died as children. In 1885, her family moved to San Francisco, hoping to find better schools. Her artistic training began there, at the Art Students’ League. In 1892, they moved back to San Diego. She later studied with William Merritt Chase. In 1907, she went to Spain, where she continued her studies with Robert Henri.
She maintained a correspondence with Henri, and invited him to San Diego in 1914. The following year, for the Panama-California Exposition, she joined with Henri and Dr. Edgar Hewett, the director of exhibits, to present paintings by some of America's notable contemporary artists.
In addition to this work, she was a member of several art organizations, including the San Diego Art Association and the San Diego Art Guild. In 1926, she and her brother-in-law, the banker Julius Wangenheim (1866–1942), who was married to her sister Laura (1869–1947), participated in the creation of the Fine Arts Society of San Diego. She also provided financial support by donating artworks from such famous painters as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.
As a collector, she was a specialist in oriental art, and was among the founders of the Asiatic Arts Committee. In 1940, the Fine Arts Gallery selected her to be the honorary curator f their oriental art collection. Her donations there include block prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige.
Through it all, she found time to paint and held frequent exhibits throughout Southern California; winning the occasional award. In addition to her painting, she created interior designs for Balboa Park community center, the YMCA and several others. In 1928, the Denrich Press of Chula Vista published a book of her poetry. She never married.
References
- ^ Bruce Kamerling, "Painting Ladies: Some Early San Diego Women Artists." in: The Journal of San Diego History, 32.3 (Summer 1986): 168-170 Excerpts @ The San Diego History Center
- Works by and about Klauber @ the San Diego Public Library
Further reading
- Martin E. Petersen, San Diego’s First Lady of the Arts: Alice Ellen Klauber & Friends, 46pgs., 1984 (Listing @ the San Diego Public Library)
External links
- Alice Klauber @ the Panama-California Exposition Digital Archive