Woman with Flowers

Label Text

Agnes Weinrich was born in southeast Iowa in 1873, the first generation of a German family born in America. She began her career as an artist in a traditional, realistic style. After graduation from high school, her father took her and her sister to Berlin to live with family members. On her return from Europe, she studied at The Art Institute of Chicago and then became part of a group of modernist artists in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Weinrich, over the course of her career, moved from a traditional to a non-objective style, influenced greatly by European art.

Weinrich lived all her life with her sister, Helen, a musician. Helen's husband, Karl Knaths, also a first generation German-American, was considered the artist in the family. In contrast to Weinrich, Knaths work was extensively collected and he was financially successful. According to Knaths, it was Weinrich who introduced him to modernism. But Weinrich worked very much in Knaths' shadow. She lived most of her life in Provincetown and died there in 1946.

Source: News, November December 1997.

DimensionsOverall: 34 × 30 1/4 in. (86.4 × 76.8 cm)

Accession Number 1998.55

Classificationspainting

CopyrightPublic Domain

SignedWeinrich (l,l oil paint)

ProvenanceArtist. Elizabeth Fuller Chapman, Chicago and New York. (O'Hara Gallery, New York); Louise Noun, Des Moines [purchased from the previous, 1993]; Des Moines Art Center [gift of the previous, 1998]

Collections

Iowa Connected Artists in the collections

Images (1)

Audio (1)

DSM Speaks Audio Tour with Izzy Kelai, Community Member

Audio Transcript

DSM Speaks Audio Tour with Izzy Kelai, Community Member

Run Time: 1.28 minutes

Recorded by Izzy Kelai, CultureALL Community Ambassador /

Women deserve flowers. Not just roses or petals wrapped in plastic, but flowers like light, like gold, like warmth from the sun. Flowers that shine endlessly—like the energy women bring into this world. Their presence nurtures, just like sunlight to plants, encouraging growth simply by being there. I chose this piece, this image of a woman with flowers, because it resonated with me deeply.

I was raised by my mom and my aunties. I have two younger sisters, and I’m the oldest. I didn’t grow up with a father figure, so I naturally connected with the women around me. Even now, I find myself most at peace in the company of women. Their energy, their laughter, their calm—it feels like home.

The artist who made this piece also grew up surrounded by women. That connection made this artwork even more powerful to me. It reminded me that my ability to comfort, to nurture, to feel deeply— all of that comes from the women who raised me. I love women, not just for what they do, but for who they are. They advocate for what matters. They treat the planet like it’s part of them—because it is.

They give life, like the Earth does. That power to bring something into the world—something beautiful, painful, transformative—is sacred.

So I believe: Every woman deserves flowers. Every woman deserves peace. A moment to rest, to breathe, to feel held. To be safe. To be heard. To be loved. This is a gratitude note to every woman. You deserve your flowers. You deserve care.

DES MOINES SPEAKS

DSM Speaks are short audio reflections on artwork in our permanent collection, written and voiced by diverse members of our community. Contributors to this program were selected in partnership with CultureALL and the Des Moines Art Center. We hope by elevating these diverse ways of seeing we can encourage all visitors to connect more deeply and to see themselves and their identities within our walls.