Read About Artist Matilda Lotz in Lift My Eyes, Elm Hill's Newest Book
An artist's portfolio is usually what gives us a glimpse into who he or she was as a person, but that's not the case for Matilda Lotz. In this deeply personal and emotional read newly published by Elm Hill, author Magdalen Dugan narrates the life of the female painter before, during, and after the American Civil War.
DALLAS, Oct. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Lift My Eyes is a biography authored by Magdalen Dugan that chronicles the life of renowned artist Matilda Lotz. Born to German immigrant parents, Matilda lived through the American Civil War, which darkened her perspective of the world. "I do not trust any of them—the heads of state, the princes, the sons of men," said the author expressing Matilda's bitterness toward the Civil War and the misery it wrought. "They have taken nearly everything of value, though they cannot completely take us from each other as long as we can remember."
Majority of the book talks about the artist's life in her home in Franklin, Tennessee—presently known as the Lotz House—which became the setting of the historic Battle of Franklin. Other places include the San Francisco School of Design, where Matilda trained after learning art from her brother, as well as different European countries. Her passion for learning and practicing art as well as other circumstances and historical events urged her to travel to places such as Algeria, Austria, Egypt, France, Hungary, and Switzerland.
Author Magdalen Dugan gives readers a unique perspective into the painter's life through Elm Hill's latest release. In each chapter of this book, readers get to experience a specific event in Matilda Lotz's life through the writer's words, allowing them to better understand who Matilda was as a daughter, sister, friend, wife, and artist. After a life as colorful as her works, the painter learns to move past the traumatic events of her childhood and sees that those who sinned against her are human just like herself; she passes on with her heart unburdened from the pain she has held onto all her life.
Despite the tragedies of war, however, the most consistent elements of Matilda's life remained strong and steadfast: her love for her family, and—most importantly—her love of art. "As Mama sees it, we should all remain together, and she is marshalling all her strength to keep me from leaving. What is art compared with the family? It is useless to try to explain. I smile at her and remember how much I love her, how much I respect her, in spite of the battle she is waging today."
While Matilda Lotz was never being able to recover her paintings, the book gives readers another reason to hope. Some of her works made their way to private owners, while others are displayed in galleries and can be purchased at auctions. The artist's earliest known painting, the one depicting a wolf, is on display along with a few more paintings of hers at the Lotz House, which was converted into a museum that is open to the public.
SOURCE Elm Hill
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