Ulrica Pasch
Sweden's first woman member of the Academy.
Ulrica Pasch supported her family as a portrait painter and in 1773 became a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. She painted nobles and burghers in the Rococo style.
Ulrica Pasch was born in Stockholm in 1735. Her father, Lorens Pasch the Elder, was a portrait painter, and she learned the trade in his studio alongside her brother, Lorens Pasch the Younger. At the time it was almost impossible for women to receive formal artistic training, but daughters of artist families could learn at home.
While her brother studied abroad, Ulrica supported the family as a portrait painter. She painted noble families and wealthy burghers, often on a small scale, and earned a good reputation. In 1773 she was elected a member of the newly founded Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. She was the only woman to hold such full membership in the 18th century, a remarkable recognition.
Her style is typical of the Rococo. The faces are softly lit, the skin pale and rosy, and fabrics and lace are painted with care. She also copied the works of other masters, a common and sought-after practice. Because she and her brother worked closely together, it has sometimes been hard to tell who painted what.
Ulrica Pasch never married. After her father's death she lived with her brother and kept house for him. She died in Stockholm in 1796. Her works are in the Nationalmuseum and the State Portrait Collection at Gripsholm Castle, among other places. Today she is recognised as a pioneer for women artists in Sweden.