Art and Handcraft in the Woman's Building
of the World's Columbian Exposition

IN THE WOMAN’S BUILDING. 257 the Russian ambassador’s wife, Princess Lieven, intimate friend of Guizot and other French celebrities of this time. Valuable memoirs have been left by Empress Catharine the Great, Empress Maria Theodovoura (not published), Countess Choiseul Gouffie, Mme. Passek, Countess Bloudoff, and the still living Mme. Shestakoff, sister of the composer Glinka. In our days Mmes. Olga Shapiro, Eugenie Tour (Countess Salias), Krestovsky, and Kohanovsky are distinguished and very popular novelists. Many women devote their pen to literature for children and youths. The name of Mme. Novikoff (Olga Kireieff) is well known by all who are interested in political writings. In Art women chiefly excel in its application to industry. A great deal has been done by them to raise the level of artistic taste. Mme. Couriard has the merit of being the initiator of the first women’s artistic club in St. Petersburg, which she has directed for many years. Much is due in this connection to the school of the “ Society of Encouragement of Arts ” and its rich museum, founded by the late Grand Duchess Maria Nicolaevna, president of the Academy of Fine Arts. As individual artists we must mention Mme. Lagoda Shishkine and Marie Bashkirtzeff, who both, unfortunately, died young. The latter has the honor of being represented in the Luxembourg picture gallery in Paris. Mlle. Polienoff is a distinguished painter and clever connoisseur. Mmes. Boehm and Beggrow-Hartmann are original painters of children scenes and portraits. As sculptors, Mme. Van-der-Hoven and Mme. Dulon. In Music, Mme. Essipoff was pronounced by Liszt the first female pianist of our time. In Dramatic Art, Mme. Samoiloff lias left a great name, and Mmes. Fedotoff and Yermoloff are the ornaments of the Moscow Dramatic Theater at this moment. The last few years have brought tip quite a new kind of activity that consists in helping, encouraging, and directing the rural indus- tries of peasant women. Hand-made laces, embroideries, rugs, car- pets, spinning, weaving, knitting, etc., have all been taken under their patronage by lady land-owners in their country places. Schools, museums, stores, and bazars have been arranged in the largest towns, >so as to make these products known, and facilitate their sale. Mme. A. Narishkine in the province of Tamboff, Mme. G. Narishkine, Mme. Davidoff, Mme. Mamontoff near Moscow, Princess Ouroussoff in Tonia, and many others devote their time, money, and energy toward enlarging and spreading these industries. 17