Illustration of girl sitting in chair holding child and dog sitting on carpet.
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Claire A. Nivola, Illustration for Elisabeth (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Collection of the artist. © 1997 Claire A. Nivola.

The Art and Storytelling of Claire A. Nivola

This exhibition showcases the career of artist-author Claire A. Nivola. Nivola’s subjects range from the personal—stories of her family—to chronicles of prominent women like poet Emily Dickinson, author Emma Lazarus, oceanographer Sylvia Earle, and Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai. As an artist, Nivola combines exquisite color, complex patterning, and attention to detail, all on an intimate scale. She builds her landscapes with delicate, dappled brushstrokes and fills her interior scenes—often viewed through doorways and windows—with endless details that keep readers engaged. In the guise of paintings-within-paintings, Nivola includes art historical references to Piero della Francesca, Henri Matisse, and others in her illustrations. 

Curated by H. Nichols B. Clark.

To borrow this exhibition, please review the lender requirements, and send your request to Associate Curator Isabel Ruiz Cano at isabelr@carlemuseum.org. Please note the featured artworks on this page are not guaranteed to travel. Original collages of similar subjects and sizes to be determined.

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Exhibition Highlights
Illustration of girl in blue dress with nana.
Illustration of people reading.
a female scuba diver swims with the fish around her.
Illustration of red tile buildings.
Illustration of woman teaching geography.
Illustration of bedroom interior.
Illustration of girl at pondside.
Illustration of people sitting at table.

Featured Artists

Photograph of the artist.

Claire A. Nivola

The daughter of artists, Claire A. Nivola drew incessantly as a child and developed exceptional facility. Her subjects range from the personal—stories of her family—to the chronicles of such prominent women as poet Emily Dickinson, author Emma Lazarus, and Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai. She has illustrated 18 books. Photograph by Jan Cannon.