Louise Abel (1919-1932)

Louise Abel was born in Widdern Wurttemburg, Germany in 1894. She arrived with her parents in the United States in 1909 and studied at a large number of institutions, including the Cincinnati Art Academy, the Art Students League in New York, The Louis Tiffany Foundation, The Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania, The Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, The Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, and the University of Cincinnati College of Liberal Arts. She began her career as a decorator at Rookwood Pottery in 1919 at the age of 25.

She produced a great volume of work from 1919 until 1932. She is most famous for her unique sculpted animal and figural work, designing many of the forms Rookwood used during her tenure. She was also an accomplished artist, doing beautiful slip painted pieces. In 1959 she returned to Germany where she continued to produce artwork and sculptures. Collector interest in her pieces is considered to be average.