Early Life, Family and Training Elisabeth Sonrel was born in 1874 in Tours, France. She grew up in a house where painting was a constant presence, being the daughter of the painter Nicolas Stéphane Sonrel. Her father, an amateur artist in Tours, acted as her first teacher, guiding her early steps in the craft. These early lessons provided the foundation for her move toward more formal instruction as her talent developed. Her training eventually took her to Paris, where she sought out the structured environment of the École des Beaux-Arts. Because women were not permitted to enroll at the sta…