Cornelia de Gavere (1877-1955), Oil on Canvas of cattle in a...

Estimate

€300 - €500

Cornelia de Gavere (1877-1955), Oil on Canvas of cattle in a field with pond to the fore, signed lower left. 40 x 46 cm approx.
A tenacious woman who was able to overcome almost unimaginable adversity and prevailed on her own terms, Cornelia de Gavere was born in Battavia, Java, East Indies in 1877. She was the daughter of Dr. Cornelius and Marchje (Berghuis) de Gavere, Dutch missionaries. Cor lost both parents and two brothers when she was just six years old. The young Cor was sent to Groningen, Holland with her sister to live with a stern aunt and uncle who took in the orphaned children. They promptly sent her sister off to boarding school, so childhood was a lonely time for Cor. Separated from her sister, she was sent off to boarding school as well. Her developing interest in art during these years was viewed with disfavor by her uncle. He prevailed upon her to take a position as an assistant pharmacist where she worked for a time in Amsterdam, although she continued to draw and paint whenever possible.
In 1907, at the age of 30, Cor committed to the study of art and she entered the Royal Academy of the Hague. She received a number of honors while attending school there. Upon completion, de Gavere moved to the small Dutch artist's colony at Blaricum to paint and she studied in paris for three years. During these years she established a lasting friendship with Wilhelmina Van Tonnigen, who gave her the motherly encouragement and support that she had missed in her early childhood.