Catharina Baart Biddle (December 8, 1912 - February 19, 2005) was an artist, educator, and philanthropist.

Biography and career

Born in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, Biddle immigrated to

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

at age 12, accompanied by her sister Mary Baart Snelling. After earning both her B.A. (1938) and M.A. (1940) in art from

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

(GWU) in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, Biddle turned down a job offer from her alma mater and left in 1945 for extensive travels through Western Europe and North Africa. She spent the next several years painting, studying at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and meeting artists including

Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...

Raoul Dufy Raoul Dufy (; 3 June 1877 – 23 March 1953) was a French painter associated with the Fauvist movement. He gained recognition for his vibrant and decorative style, which became popular in various forms, such as textile designs, and public build ...

, and

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

. After returning to Washington, D.C. in the early 1950s, Biddle began to work as an educator, teaching at public schools, the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...

, and taking private students. After marrying Ralph W. Stephan in 1956, the couple moved to

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

in 1960, where Biddle continued to paint, teach, and exhibit her work. The Stephans returned to Washington, D.C. in the late 1960s where Biddle returned to teaching in the D.C. public school system, the couple eventually divorcing in 1967. In 1973, Biddle married

Livingston Biddle Livingston Ludlow Biddle Jr. (May 26, 1918 – May 3, 2002) was an American author and promoter of funding of the arts, from a wealthy Pennsylvania family. Life Livingston Ludlow Biddle was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, on May 26, 1918. His mo ...

, a writer and arts advocate. Catharina Biddle retired from teaching in 1974 in order to focus on her art and, in 1981, earned an M.F.A.in painting from

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

(AU). Over the last few decades of her life, Biddle was featured in several solo and group exhibitions and worked, along with her husband, as an active proponent for women artists and art education. In 2002, Catharina helped endow the International Gallery at the

National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openi ...

as a tribute to her husband and their passion for the arts, and created a scholarship fund for undergraduate and graduate studio arts students at AU. After suffering from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

, Biddle died from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

in 2005.

Artistic work and influences

Biddle's work is noted for its emphasis on light, shadow and color, and the influence of Dutch masters including

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...

and Van Gogh. Her work is currently part of the permanent collection at the

References

External links

Catharina Baart Biddle papers
at the

Livingston and Catharina Baart collection
at the

Livingston L. Biddle, Jr. papers
at the

Archives of American Art The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washing ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biddle, Catharina 1912 births 2005 deaths American art patrons 20th-century American philanthropists American women philanthropists 20th-century American painters 20th-century American women painters 20th-century American educators 20th-century American women educators Dutch emigrants to the United States People with Parkinson's disease Deaths from pneumonia in Washington, D.C. George Washington University alumni Alumni of the Académie de la Grande Chaumière American University alumni