Marie Two Times

Marie Ellenreider  "Self Portrait" miniature ca. 1810 The Daulton Collection

Marie Ellenreider (1791-1863) was born in Konstanz, Germany into an artistic family (her grandfather  was Franz Ludwig Herrman, a noted painter and frescoist) who encouraged their daughter in her artistic studies. She studied with miniaturist Joseph Einsle, and her early portraits were very favorably received.  She became the first woman honored with admission into the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich.

Marie Ellenreider "Self Portrait" 1819 Rosgartenmuseum Konstanz 

In the 1820's she went to Rome where she fell under the influence of Johann Overbeck, a passionately religious Christian painter, who was a member of the Nazarene movement, a group of German painters who sought to revive honesty and sincerity in Christian Art. From this time forward Ellenreider began producing mainly religious paintings. In 1929 she was appointed court painter to Grand Duchess Sophie of Baden (Princess Sophie of Sweden.)

In the 1840s Ellenreifer returned to Konstanz and continued making religious pieces. Two of these were acquired by Queen Victoria and remain in the royal collection.