Alice Underwood Fitch

Alice Underwood Fitch (July 5, 1862 – August 1936)(verified through Ancestry.com) was an American painter born in Memphis, Tennessee.

Fitch went to France in 1900 to study and paint. She became especially noted for her work as a miniature painter. For over 20 years, she was in constant demand as a copyist of famous paintings in the Louvre and other French galleries. Many of her original works and copies hang in collections of the most famous collectors of France and Europe; therefore, her works seldom come up for sale.

In 1908, the French Government conferred the Ordre des Palmes Académiques on her.[1] In 1926, she moved to Santa Ana, California with her adopted son. While in Santa Ana, she painted the portrait of Senora De La Rosa, a 128-year-old Mexican lady, who is being researched as the oldest person to ever have lived. The "Old Senora" was born Martina de la Rosa in Aquas Callientes, Mexico on November 5, 1805 and passed on January 8. 1935 in Santa Ana, California. The painting of the "Old Senora" is in the collection of Samuel and Katheryn Othus. Extensive, documented provenance exists.

References

"IN OUR PAGES: 100, 75 AND 50 YEARS AGO 1908: American Decorated". International Herald Tribune. 24 July 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2012. (subscription required)