Artist Elizabeth Nourse and Her Mentor, Elizabeth Hudson

A copy of this painting of water lilies, by Elizabeth Nourse, is in the Artists of Sandusky file at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. In 1882 Miss Nourse became acquainted with Mrs. John H. Hudson of Sandusky, Ohio. That fall, Mrs. Hudson served as a chaperone to Elizabeth Nourse while she attended the National Academy of Design in New York City. Elizabeth’s twin sister, Adelaide Nourse, became the wife of Benn Pitman in Sandusky, Ohio on August 10, 1882, so perhaps that is how Elizabeth Nourse happened to be in Sandusky at that time. Mrs. Hudson, who served as a mentor to several artists in Sandusky, is pictured in the photograph below.

In 1887, Elizabeth Nourse, with her sister Louise, sailed to France. They lived the rest of their lives abroad, except for a few brief visits back to the United States. In 1895 she became the first American woman to be made an Associée of the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Several works by Elizabeth Nourse can be seen at the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. An online exhibit of images created by Elizabeth Nourse can be seen at the Mercantile Library in Cincinnati. Elizabeth Nourse died on October 8, 1938 in Paris.