Narcissa Niblack Thorne
| Narcissa Niblack Thorne | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
May 2, 1882 Vincennes, Indiana |
| Died | June 25, 1966 (aged 84) Chicago, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Kenwood Institute |
| Spouse(s) | James Ward Thorne (m. 1901) |
Narcissa Niblack Thorne (May 2, 1882 – June 25, 1966) was an American artist known for her extremely detailed miniature rooms. Her works depict historical interiors from Europe, Asia and North America from the late 13th to the early 20th century. The Thorne rooms are honored with dedicated exhibits in the Art Institute of Chicago, where a special wing was built to house them, the Phoenix Art Museum, and the Knoxville Museum of Art.
Thorne was born in Vincennes, Indiana, in 1882; her parents moved to Chicago when she was a child. She was educated partially at home and partially in public school, finishing at the Kenwood Institute. She married James Ward Thorne, an heir to the Montgomery Ward department store fortune, on May 29, 1901; they had been childhood sweethearts. They had two sons, named Ward and Niblack.
There are various stories of how Thorne was initially prompted to construct the miniature rooms. Her interest in miniatures began early, and was encouraged by trinkets sent to her by her uncle, a Rear Admiral in the US Navy.
The first known exhibit of her work occurred in 1932. The high unemployment of the Great Depression made it possible for her to hire workers with highly specialized skills. Most of her exhibitions were private, held to raise funds for local charitable causes, but at the Century of Progress Exposition in 1933, Thorne's works were publicly exhibited in a dedicated building. Subsequent public exhibits included the Art Institute of Chicago and the New York World's Fair of 1940. In 1936, she received a request to make a miniature library depicting a room at Windsor Castle, to mark the planned coronation of Edward VIII; although the coronation never occurred, she delivered the room and it was displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
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