Amalia Küssner Coudert
Encyclopedia
Amalia Küssner Coudert was an American miniaturist known for her portraits of prominent figures of the late 19th century including Caroline Astor, King Edward VII
, Czar Nicholas II of Russia and Cecil Rhodes.
, to Lorenz and Emilie (Weinhardt) Küssner. On February 24, 1864, the family, including Amalia's siblings Albert and Louisa, moved to Terre Haute, Indiana
. Her father, a German immigrant, ran a musical instrument repair shop called Küssner's Palace of Music at 213 Ohio Street. Lorenz gave his daughter a miniature portrait on ivory when Coudert was 12 years old, and she soon began painting her own miniatures. Coudert enjoyed etching the local scenery and soon began etching on ivory, often from the discarded piano keys of damaged pianos.
Coudert graduated from Terre Haute High School in 1881. She then studied with artist Sister Maurice Schnell at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Academy. From 1883 to 1885 Coudert studied in New York, but in 1885 she returned to Terre Haute, where she established a studio and studied under tutor Helen Minshall.
Her earliest portraits were during her time in Terre Haute, where she painted likenesses of local families including the Fairbanks, Minshalls, Bakers and Reynolds.
with the recommendation of school friend and successful actress Alice Fischer. She maintained a studio in the Windsor Hotel and painted portraits of Manhattan's elite, including Caroline Astor, at approximately US $1,000 per portrait. During these period a Harper's Bazaar writer profiled her luxuriously decorated studio and described Coudert as a 22-year-old child prodigy, even though she was 31 years old at the time. (Coudert did nothing to correct this error, in fact encouraging those who saw her as "girl artist." For years, she continued to claim her age was a full decade younger than was true.)
, Czar Nicholas II of Russia and his wife Alexandra. At her height, Coudert's works earned her as much as US $4,000 per portrait.
Though a New York Times article in 1901 claimed that Coudert was "meeting with great success" in London, for the most part her career dwindled after her marriage. By 1914 Coudert was retired and was living with her husband in Windlesham Hall, a Tudor castle the couple had purchased in Surrey
, England
.
The couple owned at least one piece of art; in 1911 Coudert lent a Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
painting titled "Child Gathering Apples" to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
.
and the Cincinnati Art Museum
.
In addition to her paintings, Coudert is remembered for a 1906 article she wrote for The Century Magazine
about her experience painting Nicholas II and Alexandra of Russia in March 1899. In significant detail, Coudert describes the royal lodgings, her interactions with the royal family and staff, and the process of painting their portraits, giving a rare glimpse into the personal lives of the family.
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, Czar Nicholas II of Russia and Cecil Rhodes.
Early life
Coudert was born on March 26, 1863, in Greencastle, IndianaGreencastle, Indiana
Greencastle is a city in Greencastle Township, Putnam County, Indiana, United States, and the county seat of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Scots-Irish American Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylvania...
, to Lorenz and Emilie (Weinhardt) Küssner. On February 24, 1864, the family, including Amalia's siblings Albert and Louisa, moved to Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
. Her father, a German immigrant, ran a musical instrument repair shop called Küssner's Palace of Music at 213 Ohio Street. Lorenz gave his daughter a miniature portrait on ivory when Coudert was 12 years old, and she soon began painting her own miniatures. Coudert enjoyed etching the local scenery and soon began etching on ivory, often from the discarded piano keys of damaged pianos.
Coudert graduated from Terre Haute High School in 1881. She then studied with artist Sister Maurice Schnell at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Academy. From 1883 to 1885 Coudert studied in New York, but in 1885 she returned to Terre Haute, where she established a studio and studied under tutor Helen Minshall.
Professional life
Coudert's typical miniature portraits were painted on small ivory discs 2-3 inches in diameter. In all, she completed more than 200 of these miniatures.Her earliest portraits were during her time in Terre Haute, where she painted likenesses of local families including the Fairbanks, Minshalls, Bakers and Reynolds.
New York City
By 1892 Coudert had moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with the recommendation of school friend and successful actress Alice Fischer. She maintained a studio in the Windsor Hotel and painted portraits of Manhattan's elite, including Caroline Astor, at approximately US $1,000 per portrait. During these period a Harper's Bazaar writer profiled her luxuriously decorated studio and described Coudert as a 22-year-old child prodigy, even though she was 31 years old at the time. (Coudert did nothing to correct this error, in fact encouraging those who saw her as "girl artist." For years, she continued to claim her age was a full decade younger than was true.)
Paintings of royalty
Coudert traveled to Europe in the late 1890s under the patronage of socialite Minnie Paget. She was welcomed by high society there and soon became known for her portraits of royalty, including King Edward VIIEdward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, Czar Nicholas II of Russia and his wife Alexandra. At her height, Coudert's works earned her as much as US $4,000 per portrait.
Marriage
On July 4, 1900, she married Charles duPont Coudert, a wealthy international lawyer, in a surprise ceremony attended only by their mothers. The New York Times society page reported that this "hasty wedding ... made quite a little stir." The couple traveled throughout Europe and maintained a mansion in New York.Though a New York Times article in 1901 claimed that Coudert was "meeting with great success" in London, for the most part her career dwindled after her marriage. By 1914 Coudert was retired and was living with her husband in Windlesham Hall, a Tudor castle the couple had purchased in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The couple owned at least one piece of art; in 1911 Coudert lent a Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes was a French painter, who became the president and co-founder of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts and whose work influenced many other artists.-Life:...
painting titled "Child Gathering Apples" to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
.
Legacy
Coudert's miniatures are now in the collections of several museums, including the Swope Art MuseumSwope Art Museum
The Sheldon Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana, was originally funded by a bequest from Michael Sheldon Swope , a Civil War veteran and jeweler who lived in Terre Haute much of his adult life. Planning for the art museum began on September 26, 1939, and the museum was officially open to the...
and the Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati Art Museum
The Cincinnati Art Museum is one of the oldest art museums in the United States. Founded in 1881, it was the first purpose-built art museum west of the Alleghenies. Its collection of over 60,000 works make it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Midwest.Museum founders debated locating...
.
In addition to her paintings, Coudert is remembered for a 1906 article she wrote for The Century Magazine
The Century Magazine
The Century Magazine was first published in the United States in 1881 by The Century Company of New York City as a successor to Scribner's Monthly Magazine...
about her experience painting Nicholas II and Alexandra of Russia in March 1899. In significant detail, Coudert describes the royal lodgings, her interactions with the royal family and staff, and the process of painting their portraits, giving a rare glimpse into the personal lives of the family.