Early Life and Artistic Education
Born in Bern, Switzerland, Otto Meyer-Amden spent his early years in an orphanage in Bern after the death of his mother. His formal training began with an apprenticeship as a lithographer in Zürich, a period during which he produced symbolic watercolor paintings. His academic journey took him to the Art Academy in Munich and later to the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart, where he studied under Adolf Hölzel. During his time in Stuttgart, he formed a lifelong friendship with Oskar Schlemmer and encountered the works of Paul Cézanne during study trips to Paris and Strassburg.
The Amden Years and Later Work
In 1912, Meyer moved to an artists' colony in Amden, where he lived in a farmhouse until 1928. It was during this period of relative isolation that he developed a deep interest in the Bible and began creating tonally dark graphite drawings. He eventually renamed himself Meyer-Amden to reflect his profound connection to the village. His diverse body of work includes:
In his final years, he taught at the School of Applied Arts in Zürich until his death in 1933. His works have been posthumously exhibited at documenta I and documenta III.
