Elizabeth Persis Kirmse Biography

Elizabeth Persis Esperance Kirmse (1884-1955) was a British artist and illustrator known for her works of cats and dogs.

She was the daughter of Richard and Lea Kirmse, respectively of German and Swiss origin, the proprietors of a private school in Hampshire. She produced oil paintings, works in pastels, and etchings of pets, often as commissions, and illustrated books, postcards, and calendars.

She produced illustrated versions of scenes from Shakespeare using animal characters, including Shakespeare at the Kennels (1934), Shakespeare with the Pets (1935), Shakespeare at the Zoo (1936) and Shakespeare and the Birds (1938). Her illustrations were also used in books by Frances Pitt and E.V. Lucas (including No-Nose at the Show, 1931). Her work was exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1916.

Her sister, Marguerite Kirmse (1885-1954), was also an artist specialising in etchings of dogs.