Ernst te Peerdt

He was born to a lower court judge, and grew up in Wesel, where he attended the local Gymnasium.

Beginning in 1868, he studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, with Eduard Bendemann and Andreas Müller.

In 1873, he transferred to the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, where he studied with Wilhelm von Diez.

Upon returning to Germany, he settled in Düsseldorf, and joined Malkasten, a progressive artists' association.

In addition to his paintings, he wrote several books on art criticism, two dramas (Berufung, 1901 and Der Dichter und der Tod, 1906) and a work on philosophy (Das Ding an sich – das Ding als Funktion, 1927).