Early Life, Family and Training Born on 2 December 1883 in Norden, Germany, Willy ter Hell entered a large, bustling household as the seventh of nine children. His upbringing was shaped by the distinct influences of his parents, Jan ter Hell, an auctioneer, and Aleida Harmina, née Meyer, an art lover who took a personal interest in teaching her children how to draw. While his sister’s brother, Johann Hermann, would eventually find his way into the delicate world of porcelain painting, Willy’s path toward the visual arts was initially obstructed by the financial constraints of his family. The…