A Life of Devotion and Line
Born Magdalen Schnell on 27 September 1830 in Sasbach, Germany, the woman who would later be known as Sister Maurice Schnell lived a life defined by both spiritual commitment and a steady hand. Her early years in Germany were followed by a significant transition in 1847, when she emigrated to the United States. This move brought her to the community of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, where she entered the religious order. Her existence was not divided between the convent and the studio, but rather integrated through them.
Her work emerged from a dual identity as a Roman Catholic nun, painter, and educator. In the quietude of her vocation, she found a way to express her surroundings and her faith through various media. She was a draughtswoman capable of precise pencil lines and an illustrator who captured the essence of her environment. Her technical skill extended to oil on panel, as seen in religious works such as Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.
The Art of the Everyday
The drawings produced by Schnell often focused on the immediate and the local. She possessed a keen eye for the landscape of her Indiana home, documenting views like the North View of Providence in 1847. Her sketches were not merely records but observations of life within the convent and its surrounding reaches. In one particular piece from May 1873, she used pencil on paper to depict two women gathering water from a spring, a scene that reflects a quiet, grounded reality.
Her pedagogical role was as significant as her personal output. As an art teacher at what is now Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, she passed her knowledge of drawing and calligraphy to others. This teaching vocation allowed her to influence the artistic development of those within her community. Her hand was noted for its steadiness and precision, qualities that informed both her religious illustrations and her instructional work.
A Final Chapter
The trajectory of her life reached its conclusion on 13 January 1902. While her primary calling was to the Sisters of Providence, her contributions as an artist and educator left a tangible mark on the archives of her order. Her collection of works remains held by the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, preserving the visual history of her time in Indiana.
