The University Guild

From the University Guild Art Collection

P. Ipsen | Amphora Vase | 14.5” × 9” × 14.5” | Ceramic

This elegant amphora has quite a story behind it.

It was made by P. Ipsens Enke, a celebrated Danish pottery company founded in Copenhagen in the 19th century. The workshop became famous for its finely crafted, unglazed terracotta inspired by ancient Greek and Roman pottery. Its museum-quality pieces were exhibited internationally and became prized by sophisticated collectors.

The company was founded by Peter Ipsen (1815–1860), who was devoted to reviving the beauty of classical antiquity. When he died unexpectedly at just 45, his widow, Louise, (1822-1905) took over the business—a remarkable step for a woman of her time. Under her leadership, the company became known as P. Ipsens Enke, meaning “P. Ipsen’s Widow.” (portrait below)

Our amphora came to the University Guild in 1927 as a gift from Emma Wigmore, wife of John H. Wigmore, Northwestern’s first full-time dean of the Pritzker Law School. Emma was later Chairman of the Guild Curator’s Committee (1929–1931) and was remembered by students as a warm and welcoming presence at the law school.

So this beautiful object is more than a classical vase. It connects the Guild to a remarkable Danish artist, an unconventional woman entrepreneur, and the early history of Northwestern.

Kay Burlingham, Art Collection Director

Join us on October 5 at 1:30 pm in the Guild Lounge for a favorite Guild program with Julie Strauss, Independent Lecturer in American Politics and Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

Julie will take a closer look at the major decisions of the Supreme Court’s 2025/2026 term, exploring important cases involving voting rights, presidential authority, the Federal Reserve, and tariffs.

We had a great program yesterday with over 70 attendees for a great lecture by Gloria Groom. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

From the University Guild Art Collection: Young Girl With Doll | by Bertoldo Taubert | Oil on Canvas, 21” x 12.5”

Who Was the Man Who Painted Young Girl With Doll?

Hanging on the west wall of Scott Hall at Northwestern University is a charming oil portrait of a young girl tenderly cuddling her doll. The painting radiates innocence and tranquility—a striking contrast to the remarkable and dangerous life of the man who painted it.

Bertoldo Taubert, an Italian-born French painter, was born in 1915 into an artistic family. His father was a well-known portrait painter whose subjects included Pope Pius XI and King Victor Emmanuel III. The family moved to Paris when Bertoldo was a child, and he spent most of his life there.

Taubert was known for modernist landscapes, still lifes, and deeply contemplative religious and ceremonial works. There are no known public photographs or physical descriptions of Bertoldo Taubert, perhaps because he was an active and heroic member of the French Resistance during WWII. Records detail a highly dangerous and covert role that he played during the German Occupation of France. He utilized underground networks to help over 300 Jews escape from Nazi-occupied France. In 1944 his activities were discovered by the German Gestapo. He was captured and imprisoned until the war ended.

His wartime experiences may have influenced the somber, spiritual character of his later work. After the war, he also painted prominent figures, including Winston Churchill.

The University Guild Art Committee purchased Young Girl With a Doll in 1964 from the Findlay Gallery in Chicago, using money from its Art Savings Fund.

Taubert died in Paris in 1974.

-Kay Burlingham, Art Collection Director

RSVP REQUIRED - Join us on Monday, September 14th at 1:30 pm for a special program featuring Gloria Groom, Chair and Winton Green Curator of Painting and Sculpture of Europe and Executive Director of Initiatives in France at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Gloria will explore how museums acquire works of art, what goes into the decision-making process, and why certain works become part of museum collections.

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/EeNPtpLoPZZgDZE79

Each year, the University Guild awards scholarships to exceptional students at Northwestern. Our awardees are committed to both serving their community and excelling intellectually. We are proud to have these students represent the values of our Guild.

One of our scholarship awardees is Meron Dawit. Meron is a rising junior at Northwestern University studying Social Policy and Global Health Studies. She is a research assistant at Feinberg School of Medicine in outcomes research and works in a microbiology lab on campus. She is also a legal intern at Hall Render, where she supports attorneys in the field of healthcare law. She currently serves on the Northwestern Community Ensemble Choir board and is Co-President of Womxn in Law. She is very passionate about health equity and policy, and plans to attend law school after graduation and pursue a career in health law.

Each year, the University Guild awards scholarships to exceptional students at Northwestern. Our awardees are committed to both serving their community and excelling intellectually. We are proud to have these students represent the values of our Guild.

One of our scholarship awardees is Payton Lowenthal-Wojcik. Payton is a rising junior at Northwestern University. He is studying English and pursuing a career in teaching. He has tutored high school students and mentored students as an Advising Fellow through Matriculate, a non-profit organization aiming to support low-income high schoolers in their journeys toward higher education. On the side, Payton loves to travel and experience new cultures, people, and hikes.

Each year, the University Guild awards scholarships to exceptional students at Northwestern. Our awardees are committed to both serving their community and excelling intellectually. We are proud to have these students represent the values of our Guild.

One of our scholarship awardees is Adhraa Arastu. Adhraa is a rising junior majoring in Elementary Teaching and Psychology and minoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders. After graduation, Adhraa hopes to work as an elementary school teacher, helping all students to reach their full potential. Adhraa tutors at a local elementary school through Northwestern’s Books and Breakfast Program. She also tutors 4th graders in reading through the Teach for America Ignite Fellowship program.

Each year, the University Guild awards scholarships to exceptional students at Northwestern. Our awardees are committed to both serving their community and excelling intellectually. We are proud to have these students represent the values of our Guild.

One of our scholarship awardees is Natasha Torkzaban. Natasha is a rising junior at Northwestern University student studying Journalism and Legal Studies with a minor in Entrepreneurship, and a pre-law QuestBridge Scholar. She’s reported for the Kansas Reflector and the Lawrence Times on civil rights and legal issues, and co-filed a federal lawsuit against a school district over student privacy and press freedom, a finalist for the SPLC Courage in Journalism Award. On campus, she’s Co-President of the Persian Student Organization.

From the University Guild Art Collection: Carolina Shoals by Francis Chapin | Watercolor on Paper, 23.5” x 37.75” (photo of the artist circa June 1951)

Regarded by his peers as the Dean of Chicago Painters, Francis Chapin (1899–1965) was celebrated for his vibrant landscapes, seascapes, and scenes of urban life. During a distinguished four-decade career, he became one of Chicago's most respected artists.

Born in Ohio, Chapin came to Chicago in 1922 to study at the School of the Art Institute, where he later became a beloved instructor, teaching until his retirement in 1947.

In 1948, Chapin married fellow artist Vivian Kinsley Chapin (1909–1994). An accomplished painter in her own right, Vivian first gained recognition for her coastal watercolors before developing a distinctive style of abstract oil painting. Their Old Town studio became a gathering place for Chicago's modernist artists, who met on Saturday evenings to discuss art over b**r and popcorn. Together, the Chapins traveled extensively, painting in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Mexico, and the American Southwest.

Today, their sketchbooks, correspondence, and personal papers are preserved in the collections of the Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Francis Chapin's work is represented in the permanent collections of major museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

On May 16, 1975, Vivian Chapin presented her husband's painting Carolina Shoals to the University Guild. The painting is displayed on the west wall of Scott Hall lounge.

-Kay Burlingham, Art Collection Director