Lucretia van Horn (1882-1970) - Antique Pair of Graphite and Ink on Paper Artworks, Diego Rivera Influence

Lucretia Blow Le Bourgeois Van Horn (1882-1970) was an American artist who was the first woman to earn the Concours Julian-Smith award at the Academie Julian in 1904. She was born on a plantation in Louisiana and attended private schools during her youth. When her parents died at 14, she moved to New York and Washington D.C. with her relatives, Martha Blow and Herbert Wadsworth. She was able to continue her private education and was introduced to artists working in the city. In 1897, she attended the Art Student's League where she studied alongside John Twachtman and George Bridgeman. Then in 1902, van Horn left for Paris to paint at the Academie Julian. She married Robert van Horn in 1907, who was a military man and assistant to Teddy Roosevelt. After World War I, their family settled in San Antonio, Texas, where van Horn helped found the San Antonio Conservation Society, which worked to preserve the city's river and Spanish heritage. During 1922-27, van Horn traveled in Mexico, where she met and spent a lot of time with Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera. She also assisted in creating some of his murals. Van Horn was greatly influenced by Rivera.