Otto Pippel

Otto Eduard Pippel was born on February 10, 1878 in Łódź, Vistula Land, in the Russian Empire. He was a German painter and is one of the most important late Impressionists in southern Germany.

After entering the School of Applied Arts in Strasbourg in 1896, where he studied under Anton Seder, he completed his training in Karlsruhe under Friedrich Fehr and Julius Hugo Bergmann. He later continued his studies with Gotthardt Kuehl at the Dresden Academy. A formative stay in Paris in 1908 brought him into contact with the French Impressionists. In 1909, he finally settled in Planegg near Munich.

Pippel was a member of the “Luitpoldgruppe” and presented his works in Munich for the first time in 1912. Between 1911 and 1931, he regularly took part in the Glaspalast exhibitions with a total of 55 works. From 1917, he was a member of the Munich Artists’ Cooperative.

During the First World War, he served as an interpreter in the Lechfeld prisoner-of-war camp due to his knowledge of Russian and Polish. Despite his conservative depictions of nature, his works were also exhibited during the Nazi era. He joined the NSDAP in November 1939.

Pippel died on May 17, 1960 in Planegg, where his grave is also located. His extensive oeuvre mainly comprises landscapes, still lifes and cityscapes. His works are characterized by an impasto, shimmering application of paint that attempts to capture light and air in the picture. His style remained largely unchanged over the years in an impressionistic sense, although expressive approaches are occasionally recognizable.

Works by Otto Eduard Pippel can be seen in the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus and the Städtische Galerie Rosenheim, among others.