Eloise Wells was born in Alton, IL in 1875. At the age of three she her family moved to St. Louis where her family was already well steeped into the world of art. Eloise received her formal education from Mary Institute, followed by Washington University. Whilst at Washington University, Eloise attended classes through the St. Louis School of Fine Art alongside contemporary Richard Miller. Wells went on to study art at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles.
Though Eloise traveled frequently to New York, Chicago, and New Orleans she spent the majority of her life in St. Louis. Her children were raised at their home at 4308 Washington Avenue, where she also kept her studio. From her home Eloise was able to capture not only the daily life of being a woman and raising children in the city of St. Louis in the first half of the twentieth century, she was also able to capture the day to day life of the bustling city and riverfront.
Eloise painted an ever changing world from first-hand experience. She captured subjects such as women working in the Red Cross and clothing factories; men on the Riverboats and men out of work during the Great Depression; children learning to read and children swimming at Fairgrounds Pool; St. Louis City scenes such as a Baptismal on Pine Street and much more. Through her portraits and still life paintings, Eloise gives us an exclusive glimpse into St. Louis Fashion and happenings of her era.
Eloise allows us a historical narrative of everyday life in St. Louis from 1900-1945. Her images give us a glimpse into the interesting and important events that our city has quietly forgotten.