Otto van Rees (artist)

[1] Son of a family of academics, Otto van Rees started his career in Paris, where he moved in October 1904.

The Bateau Lavoir was a lively place where his contact with other artists, painters, Picasso, Lhote, Gris, Van Dongen, as well as writers Max Jacob, Blaise Cendrars, Apollinaire deepened.

During the first world war Van Rees changed his French summer residence for Ascona, the Swiss little town at the Lake Maggiore.

[7] With Arp, who later spent Christmastime 1915 at the Van Rees, Otto and Adya held the famous exposition of November 1915 at the gallery Tanner in Zürich.

The house had a ground plan of a circle and a square, announcing the famous 1930 collective art show of Cercle et Carré.

[9] After the tragic death of their oldest daughter, killed in a train accident in France, Otto van Rees spent more and more time in Holland.

Many public buildings in Holland: churches, railway station, courthouse, ministry, theatres were embellished by his mural paintings.