Leopold Otto Strützel

Born. 02.09.1855 in Dessau
Died. 25.12.1930 in Munich

German painter, Graphic artist, Illustrator, Impressionist

About the artist

Otto Strützel was born on 2 September 1855, in Dessau. He started painting in oils at an early age after being inspired by the court painters at that time.

His father died when he was 15 so he started working at the lithographic institute and in the following year at the Kunstanstalt of Giesecke und Devrient in Leipzig.

Wanting to improve his skills, he began studying at Leipzig art school, taking trips abroad for his outdoor studies.

In 1879 Strützel continued his studies at the Düsseldorf Academy and in the following years spent some time in the Schwalm region of Hesse.

The painting “Sommertag am Weiher” (Summer Day at the Pond), exhibited in the Munich Glass Palace in 1883, attracted the attention of Heinrich von Zügel. Strützel was so impressed with von Zügel‘s work that he also started to include animals in his work.

He married Maria Ahlström in 1885 and moved to Adalbertstrasse in Munich, regularly spending the summer months in Dachau and the surrounding area. He liked the town of Ohlstadt and bought a house there in 1910.

Strützel had been exhibiting at the Glaspalast since 1883. In the great fire on 6 June 1931, he was saddened to learn that 61 of his paintings had been destroyed in the fire.

 He was well honored for his work and received medals of appreciation. In 1904 he was awarded the title of Professor.

Strützel died at his home in Munich on 25 December 1930.