Women in the Nineteenth-Century Art Market: The Case of Helene Schemel

This article focuses on the female art dealer and artist’s widow Helene Schemel (1850–1907), who traded in paintings and watercolors by artists of The Hague School between 1893 and 1907. She established her own business in 1893, which she continued and renamed Maison Artz after her second marriage. The article explores Schemel’s life and activities, how she conducted business, and the strategies she used to navigate the national and transatlantic markets. It also places Schemel in the broader context of the art market in The Hague.