Elisabet Ney (1833-1907) A pioneer in the development of art in Texas, Elisabet Ney was born in Munster, Westphalia, Germany on January 26, 1833. She became the first woman sculpture student accepted in the Munich Art Academy. Her talents were soon recognized, and she received commissions to model a number of famous men, including Bismark, Garibaldi, Schopenhauer, and King Ludwig II of Bavaria.