Betsy Repelius

Dutch painter and watercolourist who specialized in simple, one-figure, genre scenes. In 1875, she became a member of Arti et Amicitiae and, after 1878, was a regular participant in their exhibitions. In 1889, thanks to her inherited wealth, she was able to build a home designed by the prominent architect Joseph Cuypers. It had a studio in the attic. She hired Piet Mondriaan, then a young, aspiring artist, to paint allegorical scenes and putti on the ceiling. She would often invite people in off the street to pose for her. It is notable that, in most of her works, the figures are looking down or off to the side. She remained unmarried, but had a wide circle of close artistic friends that included Thérèse Schwartze and Lizzy Ansingh. She donated to charity quite freely, especially to organizations for the blind. Betsy Repelius died on 23 January 1921 in Amsterdam, aged 72. In her will, she left significant amounts to all her friends. The flower painter Marie Heineken, niece of the brewer Gerard Adriaan Heineken, received the contents of her studio. Link to Wikipedia biography