Henriëtte Ronner-Knip (1821-1909)
Henriëtte was the daughter of the well-known neo-classical painter Augustus Knip and started painting early in childhood. After her marriage to Reico Ronner in 1850, her main daily activity was running a household until her husband fell seriously ill. They decided to move to Brussels and it is here that Henriëtte became the breadwinner of the family by painting animal scenes. Real prosperity followed when Henriëtte discovered cat portraiture. The bourgeoisie soon stood in line to have their cats portrayed by her and she became a European celebrity and embodied the ‘salon art’.
