All photos copyright Jean Spitzer. Please see Copyright and Contact Information page for more information.

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Monday, August 6, 2012

An Unconventional Woman




This was my second visit to Formosa, the late 19th Century art studio of sculptor Elisabet Ney, located in Austin's Hyde Park neighborhood.

Free, completely fascinating look back at European and Texan history.

And a chance to learn about a woman who defied the mores of her time and eventually influenced the course of Texan history.

Formosa is fun, too.  One can (and I did) climb to the small tower room on the narrowest spiral staircase.

9 comments:

  1. Just read her story. What an interesting woman. Your photo is beautiful. The light near the door, especially.

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  2. Thanks, Adele.

    My photo only shows a bit of the four acres her studio sits on. Truly Texan in size.

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  3. No--but it is a favorite movie.

    There was a little boy with his mom. They apparently come regularly, just so he can climb the tower.

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  5. Sounds like my kind of woman and I'm glad she built Formosa to last so we can all share it.

    I have a scary tower story. When I was a child we visited the Tower of Pisa and my younger brother tried to climb some outside metal rungs to the very tippy top. I think my mom grew a few grey hairs that day and I don't think you can do that anymore either.

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  6. Your mom sounds brave--taking the kids with. You are very lucky to have gotten that experience. And sounds like your brother was lucky to have survived it.

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  7. The Elizabet Ney Museum is one of my very favorite places in Austin. What an amazing woman she was! Also, what a great sculptor! She probably played some kind of role model role for me. At least I didn't have to go on a starvation diet just to study art...just get into UT.
    Her studio, library and little parlor have always stayed in my mind as the very ideal situation.

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  8. Completely inspirational and amazing on so many dimensions.

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