Still life with fruit

About this artwork.

Elisabeth (Betsie) Johanna Koning (1816 - 1887) was a painter of still lifes and is one of the well-known botanical painters of the nineteenth century. At birth, Betsie had a right arm that developed only slightly below her elbow. Because of this, she worked with her left hand. She had drawing lessons from an early age. In 1825, when she was nine years old, her animal drawings were shown in an exhibition in Haarlem. Between 1832 and 1848 she received various requests, which made her famous. In 1844 she became an honorary member of an art society and a year later she was declared a member of the Royal Academy of Art in Amsterdam. Until her marriage she was a teacher at home and gave drawing and painting lessons. In 1859 she married the captain Sybrand Stapert and accompanied him on a trip to Indonesia. On Java she made many detailed, colorful watercolors of flowers, fruits and small animals. She was therefore appointed as the first woman to be a member of the Physics Society in the Dutch East Indies. That same year, the couple returned to the Netherlands and settled in Groningen. From this time she signed her work with "EJS geb. K" (Elisabeth Johanna Stapert, born Koning).

It is not known from which year this painting Still life with fruit is. It is signed Elisabeth Koning, so we know that the work is from before 1859.

Facts & Figures.

• Artist(s)
  Elisabeth Koning

• Year of creation
  Unknown

• Dimensions (in cm)
  47x40

• Collection
  Town Hall Collection

• Technic
  Oil paint on wood