A commission for an altar triptych at the Ansgarkirche in Langenhorn became the catalyst for Anita Rée's final years of professional decline. Though she secured the project in 1930, church officials withdrew the contract by 1932, citing religious concerns. This rejection occurred as antisemitic hostility intensified, eventually forcing the Hamburg-based painter to seek refuge on the island of Sylt.
Artistic Development and Influences
Born in Hamburg in 1885 to Israel Rée and Clara Hahn, Anita Rée was baptized as a Lutheran despite her Jewish heritage. She began her formal training in 1905 under Arthur Siebelist. A significant turning point occurred in 1906 when Max Liebermann encouraged her artistic pursuits. By 1910, she engaged in a studio community with Franz Nölken and other peers, though personal tensions later caused the group to disband. Seeking further technical refinement, she spent the winter of 1912 and 1913 studying with Fernand Léger in Paris.
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By 1914, Rée had established a reputation as a competent portraitist. Her involvement in the local art scene grew in 1919 when she joined the Hamburg Secession. Her mobility allowed for diverse creative experiences, including a tour of the Tyrol in 1921 and a multi-year residency in Positano between 1922 and 1925. Upon her return to Germany, she co-founded GEDOK, an association dedicated to supporting women artists, and received several commissions for murals in public buildings.
Political Persecution and Legacy
The rise of the Nazi government significantly impacted Rée’s career and personal safety. Authorities denounced her work, categorized her as an alien, and later labeled her output as degenerate. Following her suicide in 1933 in Kampen on Sylt, much of her public art was destroyed. The survival of her remaining paintings is largely due to Wilhelm Werner, a Kunsthalle Hamburg groundskeeper who concealed a significant portion of her collection within his own home.
Fast facts
- Born: 1885, Hamburg
- Died: 1933, Kampen (Sylt)
- Occupation: Painter
- Movement: Avant-garde
- Education: Arthur Siebelist and Fernand Léger
- Association: Hamburg Secession and GEDOK
- Citizenship: Germany
Questions readers ask
What happened to Anita Rée's paintings after her death?
Many of her works were preserved by Wilhelm Werner, a groundskeeper at the Kunsthalle Hamburg, who hid them in his apartment to protect them from Nazi purges.
Why was the Ansgarkirche commission cancelled?
The church fathers withdrew the commission in 1932, officially citing religious concerns regarding her designs.
Achievements
- Movement: avant-garde
