Ellen Axson Wilson

Biography

Ellen Axson Wilson, born in 1860, trained at the Art Students League of New York and developed a sensitive, luminous style in portraiture and landscapes. Her works, often rendered in pastel and oil, reveal a deep empathy for her subjects and the rural beauty she encountered before joining her husband on the national stage.

As First Lady she supported housing initiatives, promoted the arts, and carried her belief in civic responsibility into every visit; her sudden death in 1914 brought sorrow to many, and she was laid to rest at Myrtle Hill Cemetery where her artistic spirit continues to be honored.