Henrietta Montalba

Henrietta Montalba
Henrietta Montalba painted by HRH The Princess Louise in 1882
Born	Henrietta Skerrett Montalba 1856 England
Died	14 September 1893 Venice, Italy
Nationality	British
Known for	Painter

Henrietta Skerrett Montalba (1856 – 14 September 1893) was a British sculptor, born into a renowned family of artists. She studied art at what was to become the Royal College of Art with fellow-student The Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll. The Princess painted a portrait of her which today hangs in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada. She first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1876, and her work was often seen at the Grosvenor Gallery in London. Montalba was rarely separated from her family, residing in later days chiefly at the family home in Venice, Italy. She died in Venice, on September 14, 1893, and was buried near her father in the cemetery of San Michele. One of her sculptures, a bronze titled Boy Catching a Crab, is in collection of The Victoria and Albert Museum.

Henrietta Montalba was born in 1856, the youngest of four daughters of Anthony Rubens Montalba and Emeline (née Davies), all of whom would attain considerable success as artists. She was born in London. The 1871 British census shows Anthony Montalba living at 19 Arundel Gardens, Notting Hill, London, with four daughters, all artists. Montalba studied first at what was to become the Royal College of Art in South Kensington, and then in the Accademia di Belle Arti at Venice. Later she became a pupil of Jules Dalou, the French sculptor, during his residence in London.

Montalba first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1876, and her work was often seen at the Grosvenor Gallery, the New Gallery, and elsewhere.