The Bern-born painter Otto Meyer-Amden looks back on an exciting biography. His life started out difficult: as the youngest son of the family, the death of his mother suddenly changed the boy's entire life. His father earned too little as a blacksmith to raise the six children on his own. Otto is sent to an orphanage in Bern. Early on he processed his experiences in paintings. At the age of 18 he leaves the orphanage and starts an apprenticeship in the lithographic printing shop of the Kunstanstalt Lips in Bern. During his apprenticeship he created his first watercolour paintings in symbolic style. Otto studies the works of other painters and continues his education in the evening. After his three years of training, Otto moves to Zurich and begins further training as a lithographer. In his free time Otto Meyer attends various courses at the Zurich School of Applied Arts. He is taught by Albert Freytag and Eduard Stiefel, among others. One of his classmates, Hermann Huber, becomes an important confidant throughout his life. The friends maintained a lifelong correspondence.
After a year in Zurich, Otto moves to Munich to join his brother Ernst. He wants to study at the Munich Academy of Art. He passes the entrance examination and is accepted into the class of Peter Hahn. At the academy he creates his first well-known works such as the portrait of his father and a self-portrait. After completing his studies he goes on journeys through Germany and Europe. He visits the Louvre and studies the works of Leonardo da Vinci. From Paris the young painter is drawn to Stuttgart. Here he continues his studies. He becomes a student of Christian Landenberger, professor at the local art academy. Landenberger became known for his impressionistic landscape paintings. Otto works highly productively, but gets into conflicts with Landenberger. The latter excludes him from his painting course. Otto changes course and becomes a master student of Adolf Hölzel. He provides Otto with his own studio. Thereupon further important works are created. But the breakthrough as an artist is still to come. He gets into financial difficulties and has to accept commissioned works. In addition, he increasingly deals with questions of faith. In his large circle of friends, readings by Oscar Wild and Balzacs are discussed at meetings.
In 1912 his friend Hermann Huber invited Otto to the Swiss mountain village of Amden. Friends from Stuttgart accompany Otto to Switzerland. They live together for a while as a commune in the mountains. Together the friends prepare for an art competition at the University of Zurich. Otto Meyer drops out. Huber wins first place. After the competition Otto Meyer is left alone in the mountains. He devotes himself to self-sufficiency, growing fruit and vegetables in his own garden. During this time Otto Meyer produces impressions of Zurich and Amden landscapes. In 1924 Otto Meyer finally organizes his two most successful art exhibitions. They are held in Zurich and Basel.
The Bern-born painter Otto Meyer-Amden looks back on an exciting biography. His life started out difficult: as the youngest son of the family, the death of his mother suddenly changed the boy's entire life. His father earned too little as a blacksmith to raise the six children on his own. Otto is sent to an orphanage in Bern. Early on he processed his experiences in paintings. At the age of 18 he leaves the orphanage and starts an apprenticeship in the lithographic printing shop of the Kunstanstalt Lips in Bern. During his apprenticeship he created his first watercolour paintings in symbolic style. Otto studies the works of other painters and continues his education in the evening. After his three years of training, Otto moves to Zurich and begins further training as a lithographer. In his free time Otto Meyer attends various courses at the Zurich School of Applied Arts. He is taught by Albert Freytag and Eduard Stiefel, among others. One of his classmates, Hermann Huber, becomes an important confidant throughout his life. The friends maintained a lifelong correspondence.
After a year in Zurich, Otto moves to Munich to join his brother Ernst. He wants to study at the Munich Academy of Art. He passes the entrance examination and is accepted into the class of Peter Hahn. At the academy he creates his first well-known works such as the portrait of his father and a self-portrait. After completing his studies he goes on journeys through Germany and Europe. He visits the Louvre and studies the works of Leonardo da Vinci. From Paris the young painter is drawn to Stuttgart. Here he continues his studies. He becomes a student of Christian Landenberger, professor at the local art academy. Landenberger became known for his impressionistic landscape paintings. Otto works highly productively, but gets into conflicts with Landenberger. The latter excludes him from his painting course. Otto changes course and becomes a master student of Adolf Hölzel. He provides Otto with his own studio. Thereupon further important works are created. But the breakthrough as an artist is still to come. He gets into financial difficulties and has to accept commissioned works. In addition, he increasingly deals with questions of faith. In his large circle of friends, readings by Oscar Wild and Balzacs are discussed at meetings.
In 1912 his friend Hermann Huber invited Otto to the Swiss mountain village of Amden. Friends from Stuttgart accompany Otto to Switzerland. They live together for a while as a commune in the mountains. Together the friends prepare for an art competition at the University of Zurich. Otto Meyer drops out. Huber wins first place. After the competition Otto Meyer is left alone in the mountains. He devotes himself to self-sufficiency, growing fruit and vegetables in his own garden. During this time Otto Meyer produces impressions of Zurich and Amden landscapes. In 1924 Otto Meyer finally organizes his two most successful art exhibitions. They are held in Zurich and Basel.
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