Mathias J. Alten

The German-born American Impressionist Mathias Joseph Alten, often referred to as the Dean of Michigan painters, is regarded as one of the most celebrated regionalist artists to have worked in the United States.

Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Alten created more than 3,000 works of art during his prolific career including landscapes, seascapes, portraits, florals, and still-lifes. Working in a traditional representational style, Alten incorporated the aesthetics and techniques of the Impressionist Movement into paintings infused with light and punctuated with deft brushwork. Here, you can learn about Alten's life and his work that is part of Grand Valley State University's permanent collection, the largest known public Alten collection of its kind in the world.