Ottilie Reylaender

"Soon I no longer thought about 'painting' nature, but I felt liberated and experienced two wonderful summers."

Ottilie Reylaender with her foster son Bodzio, 1914/15

Es Ottilie Reylaender (1882–1965) was a German painter and a member of the so-called ›second generation‹ of the Worpswede artist colony.

Born in Frankfurt am Main, Reylaender began her artistic training in Germany but also studied abroad, including in the Netherlands and Paris. Her exposure to various international art movements, such as French Impressionism, greatly influenced her style, bringing vibrant colors and a sense of lightness to her works.

In Worpswede, Reylaender found an artistic home that uniquely inspired her sensitivity to nature and mood. Her landscapes and portraits are often characterized by a subtle interplay of colors and a calm, meditative atmosphere, capturing the distinctive character of the North German landscape and its people.
In 1910, she emigrated to Mexico, where she lived until 1929.

Although Reylaender did not achieve the fame of some of her colleagues, she found a loyal following and is now regarded as an important artist in the Worpswede community.

Ottilie Reylaender, Self-Portrait in a White Blouse, circa 1930