Cornelis Ruhtenberg

Born in Latvia, Cornelis Ruhtenberg trained as an artist in Europe and attended the Hochschule für Bildende Kunst in Berlin from 1941 to 1946. She came to the United States in 1948 and remained here as a working artist until her death. Ruhtenberg is considered one of the premier artists who worked in the Midwest. Before coming to Iowa, her art was exhibited and highly praised in New York City. Her art is included in many significant collections such as the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Berlin Museum. She came to Iowa with her husband, the artist Jules Kirschenbaum, who taught at Drake University for many years and together they would influence numerous young artists with their profound and evocative works of art. Ruhtenberg’s paintings and drawings were primarily of figures and still-lifes. She is best known for her figures, which were created with great sensitivity, depicting their own contemplative moments in time rather than a forced view. Often in muted tones, the figures are placed harmoniously with various objects, but are rendered in a painterly fashion. Her high level of training is evident in these figures and scenes and won her great favor in the American art world that continues into the present.