Frankfurt/Main/Hofheim am Taunus (dpa/lhe) - The Frankfurt Städel Museum is trying to rediscover the portrait painter Ottilie W. Roederstein (1859-1937). According to Städel, the native Swiss was "a fixture in the male-dominated art world at the beginning of the 20th century and confidently ignored the prevailing social norms". The "frei.schaffend" exhibition, which opens this Wednesday and can be seen until October 16, includes 75 paintings and drawings.
After training in Zurich, Berlin and Paris, Roederstein lived in Frankfurt from 1891, her studio was only a few meters from the Städel. Her works found their way into the collection while she was still alive. In 1902, the Städel acquired Roederstein's painting "Lesende Alte Frau" - the first work by a contemporary artist. In 1909 she settled in Hofheim am Taunus with her partner, the gynecologist Elisabeth H. Winterhalter. "Today, despite her lively exhibition activities and her former reputation, the painter is almost unknown to a larger audience," said the preview of the exhibition on Tuesday.
