A Life of Independence In the quiet corners of Ballenstedt, Anhalt-Bernburg, a girl named Caroline Bardua began a life that would defy the common expectations of her era. Born to the valet of a Duke and a woman named Sophie Sabine Kirchner, she did not possess the inherited wealth often required for an artistic career, yet she possessed a drive that led her toward the brush. Her early years were shaped by the guidance of Hans Heinrich…