Caroline Bardua 1781-1864

Baerbel Kovalevski

ISBN 978-3-9812252-3-5

The present brief biography is devoted to the significant female painter Caroline Bardua (1781 – 1864) from Ballenstedt in Harz, Germany. She learned from 1805 to 1807 at the Institute for arts in Weimar under Johann Heinrich Meyer. Being talented both for music and painting she participated in the cultural life in Weimar, Dresden, Frankfurt and Berlin. Bardua became 1808 a student of Gerhard von Kuegelgen in Dresden and finished her study with the remarkable portrait of Caspar David Friedrich. She has spent the following years in travel while painting portraits of diplomats, artists, scientists and their families in many places. A journey to Paris in 1829 and a three years successful activity in Frankfurt (1829-1832) were a crowning of her artistic work. Her portraits were greatly appreciated because of original composition and realistic conception. She participated with her portraits and religious paintings in academic exhibitions. Caroline Bardua was a recognized and beloved painter. She belongs to the first civil women who have built up an independent existence due to free artistic occupation.