Anna Maria von Phul’s sketches and watercolors provide a singular window into the early-nineteenth-century lower Midwest. But unlike the male artists of her day, von Phul’s work didn’t attract the attention it deserved. In “More than Ordinary: Early St. Louis Artist Anna Maria von Phul,” author and Missouri Historical Society senior curator Hattie Felton corrects that by presenting the life, times and catalog of Missouri’s first known female artist. “I [want people] to know that St. Louis had an incredible early woman artist, and we know her name, we know her life story, and we know her work.” Felton’s book also provides an exciting preview of “Painting Creole St. Louis: Artist Anna Maria von Phul,” opening May 2022 at the Missouri History Museum.

Books available from Missouri History Museum: https://missouri-history-museum-shop.myshopify.com/.

Presented by the St. Louis County Library and HEC Media.