Otto Vautier

Otto Adolphe Paul Vautier was born in Düsseldorf on September 9, 1863 and died in Geneva on November 13, 1919. He was a renowned Swiss painter whose fame manifested itself above all through his impressive portraits of women.

As the third son of the painter Benjamin Vautier and his wife Bertha, née Euler, Otto Vautier enjoyed an education that led him down the path of the arts. His school education took him to the Realgymnasium on Klosterstraße in Düsseldorf until 1882. It was in this cultural environment that his talent for painting was awakened. Like his older brother Karl, he embarked on the path of art and devoted himself to painting. In order to perfect his craft, he went to the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and became a student of Fritz von Uhde. During this time, he made important artistic contacts, including his meeting with Leopold von Kalckreuth and his connection to the artistic circles in Dachau.

During his stay in Paris around 1889, he crossed paths with the painter Ernest Biéler. This encounter led Vautier to the Valais, more precisely to Savièse and Evolène, where he intensively studied landscape painting at the Savièse school. His artistic dedication was also evident in his teaching activities, when he taught his nephew Otto von Wätjen the craft of painting from 1902 to 1903. The Geneva painters Alfred Rehfous (1860-1912) and John-Pierre Simonet (1860-1915) exerted a decisive influence on Vautier and encouraged him to settle in Geneva in 1906.

Between 1915 and 1917, Otto Vautier founded the Groupe du Falot, an artistic community dedicated to the themes of women and sensual love. Vautier presented his works in renowned art centers such as Geneva, Zurich and Paris. At the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, he was awarded the bronze medal, a sign of his outstanding artistic achievements. Between 1901 and 1903, he held the position of President of the Society of Swiss Painters, Sculptors and Architects, a recognition of his leadership in the art world.

Otto Vautier was married to Louise Marie, née Schnell. This marriage produced two sons, Otto Vautier the Younger (1893-1918) and Benjamin Vautier the Younger (1895-1974), who also devoted themselves to painting. Otto Vautier died in 1919, leaving behind an impressive legacy in the world of art.