b. 1833 d. 1907
Site Affiliation: Elisabet Ney Museum
Elisabet Ney (1833-1907) rocketed to fame as a sculptor in 19th Century Berlin. Deeply intellectual, a gender non-conformist and democracy activist, she fled persecution in 1871, landing in Texas. In 1892, after farming and raising a son, she built Formosa, a rugged but majestic limestone homestead/studio, relaunching her career. Important artwork was made here, but so was her brilliant legacy: the birth of Austin’s independent spirit. Today, The Elisabet Ney Museum, at Formosa, provides both an anchor and a laboratory for progressive identity and art. A seminal Texas Suffragist who didn’t survive to vote, Ney’s story resonates with respect for women, artists, immigrants and outsiders.
Primary Medium: Sculpture
Primary Stylistic Term: Realism, Neoclassical
Fun Fact: Elisabet Ney’s studio features several hidden doors throughout the building that lead to the roof and basement. She was also a vegetarian.
Recommended Publications: The Art of the Woman by Emily Fourmy Cutrer (2016); Two Romantics and Their Ideal Life by Vernon Loggins (2012); Sursum, Elisabet Ney in Texas by Mrs. J. W. (Willie B.) Rutland (1977)