Mr Charles A. Caffin, in his article upon the exhibition of the New York Water-Color Club, January, 1904, says:  “Miss Oakley has had considerable experience in designing stained-glass windows, and has reproduced in some of her designs for book covers a corresponding treatment of the composition, with an attempt, not very logical or desirable, considering the differences between paint and glass, to reproduce also something of her window color schemes....  But for myself, her cover, in which some girls are picking flowers, is far more charming in its easy grace of composition, choice gravity of color, and spontaneity of feeling.  Here is revealed a very naive imagination, free of any obsessions.”

OCCIONI, SIGNORA LUCILLA MARZOLO. Diploma of gold medal at the Women’s Exhibition, Earl’s Court, London, 1900.  Born in Trieste.  Pupil, in Rome, of Professor Giuseppe Ferrari.

This artist paints figure subjects, portraits, landscapes, and flowers, in both oils and water-colors, and also makes pen-drawings.  Her works are in many private galleries.  She gives me no list of subjects.  Her pictures have been praised by critics.

O’CONNELL, FREDERIQUE EMILIE AUGUSTE MIETHE. Born in Potsdam. 1823-1885.  She passed her early life in her native city, having all the advantages of a solid and brilliant education.  She early exhibited a love of drawing and devoted herself to the study of anatomical plates.  She soon designed original subjects and introduced persons of her own imagination, which early marked her as powerful in her fancy and original in her manner of rendering her ideas.

A picture of “Raphael and the Fornarina,” which she executed at the age of fifteen, was so satisfactory as to determine her fate, and she was allowed to study art.

When about eighteen years old she became the pupil of Charles Joseph Begas, a very celebrated artist of Berlin.  Under his supervision she painted her first picture, called the “Day of the Dupes,” which, though full of faults, had also virtues enough to secure much attention in the exhibition.  It was first hung in a disadvantageous position, but the crowd discovered its merits and would have it noticed.  She received a complimentary letter from the Academy of Berlin, and the venerable artist Cornelius made her a visit of congratulation.

About 1844 she married and removed to Brussels.  Here she came into an entirely new atmosphere and her manner of painting was changed.  She sought to free herself from all outer influence and to express her own feeling.  She studied color especially, and became an imitator of Rubens.  She gained in Brussels all the medals of the Belgian expositions, and there began two historical pictures, “Peter the Great and Catherine” and “Maria Theresa and Frederick the Great.”  These were not finished until after her removal to Paris in 1853.  They were bought by Prince Demidoff for the Russian Government.