Mrs. Elizabeth Holmes Fisher

This is a portrait of the founder and namesake of USC Fisher Museum of Art, Elizabeth Holmes Fisher (1867 – 1955). Mrs. Fisher was the first female member appointed to USC’s Board of Trustees in 1936. In the following year, 1937, the University of Southern California accepted a gift from Elizabeth Holmes Fisher to construct what is now known as the USC Fisher Museum of Art, dedicated on November 14, 1939. In addition to founding the museum, Mrs. Fisher gave to the University a significant portion of her art collection. Between 1939 and 1951, Mrs. Fisher donated a total of 74 paintings, drawings, and sculptures by European and American artists.

The Elizabeth Holmes Fisher Collection is comprised of 19th century American Hudson River School and French Barbizon landscapes; 17th and 18th century British portraits; and Dutch and Flemish masterworks from the 16th through 18th centuries.