Otto Kirchner

Otto Kirchner, born on March 15, 1887 in Eckartshausen (Werneck) and died in Munich in 1960, was one of the most important German portrait and genre painters of his time.

Kirchner began his artistic career in 1908/09 at a private drawing school in Düsseldorf. In order to further develop his talent, he continued his studies in Italy from 1910 to 1911 and finally from 1912 to 1914 at the renowned Academy of Fine Arts in Munich under the direction of Martin Feuerstein, a leading painter in the religious field at the time.

After the end of the First World War, Kirchner concentrated primarily on small-format genre paintings. His works such as “Old Man Reading a Letter with a Pen Behind His Ear”, “Portrait of a Seated Peasant in Traditional Costume”, “Reading Cardinal” and “Wine Drinker with a Cigar” bear witness to his mastery of various subjects and his ability to portray everyday life with sensitivity.

Kirchner’s paintings were widely recognized and were exhibited in Munich’s renowned Glaspalast, among other venues, further cementing his reputation as an outstanding painter. His work remains an important chapter in the history of 20th century German art.