“Among the American artists who have made a distinctive place in art circles, not only in America but on ‘the other side,’ is Mrs. M. F. Mansfield, formerly Blanche McManus of Woodville, Mississippi.

“In London she is widely known as a skilful, able, and versatile artist, and her remarkable success there is an illustration of ’the American invasion.’  Little has been written in America, especially in the South, of what this talented Southern woman has accomplished.  She has never sought personal advertisement; on the contrary, she has shrunk from any kind of publicity—­even that which would have accrued from a proper valuation of her work.

“She is one of those artists whose talent is equalled only by her modesty, who, enamoured of her art and aiming at a patient, painstaking realization of her ideal, has been content to work on in silence.  In the estimation of art connoisseurs, Blanche McManus is an artist of unquestionable talent and varied composition, who has already done much striking work.  Her execution in the various branches has attracted international attention.

“She paints well in water-colors and in oil, and her etching is considered excellent.  Her drawing is stamped good, and every year she has showed rapid improvement in design.  She is a highly cultivated woman, with a close and accurate observation.  A sincere appreciation of nature was revealed in her earliest efforts, and for some years she devoted much time to its study.”

Moring’s Quarterly says in regard to the special work which Mrs. Mansfield has done:  “It is so seldom that an artist is able to take in hand what may be termed the entire decoration of a book—­including in that phrase cover, illustration, colophon, head- and tail-pieces, initial letters, and borders—­that it is a pleasure to find in the subject of our paper a lady who may be said to be capable of taking all these points into consideration in the embellishment of a volume.”

MEDICI, MARIE DE’. Wife of Henry IV.  Born at Florence, 1573; died at Cologne, 1642.  A portrait of herself, engraved on wood, bears the legend, “Maria Medici F. MDLXXXII.”  Another portrait of a girl, attributed to her, is signed, “L.  O. 1617.”  It may be considered a matter of grave doubt whether the nine-year-old girl drew and engraved with her own hand the first-named charming picture, which has been credited to her with such frank insouciance.

MENGS, ANNA MARIA. Member of the Academy of San Fernando.  She was a daughter of Anton Rafael Mengs, and was born in Dresden in 1751, where she received instruction from her father.  In 1777 she married the engraver Salvador Carmona in Rome, and went with him to Spain, where she died in 1790.  Portraits and miniatures of excellent quality were executed by her, and on them her reputation rests.

MERIAN, MARIA SIBYLLA. Born at Frankfort-on-the-Main in 1647.  This artist merits our attention, although her art was devoted to an unusual purpose.  Her father was a learned geographer and engraver whose published works are voluminous.  Her maternal grandfather was the eminent engraver, Theodore de Bry or Brie.