Mathias J. Alten
The "dean of Michigan painters" arrived in Grand Rapids at 17 and made more than 3,000 works.
Alten was born in Gusenburg, Germany. His family reached the United States in January 1889 and settled on the west side of Grand Rapids when he was 17. He painted decorations for a local brew house and worked at the Phoenix Furniture Company before studying in Paris at the Académie Julian and the Académie Colarossi.
He returned in 1899 and opened a studio and art school in Grand Rapids. He worked in the Netherlands in 1910 and 1911 and made trips to Spain from 1912, where Joaquín Sorolla influenced him. West Michigan remained a frequent subject.
He died at his East Fulton Street home in 1938. Grand Valley State University now holds the largest known public collection of his work and publishes an online catalogue.