Autumn Reflections at Dusk

The German-born American artist, Mathias Joseph Alten (1871-1938) is often referred to as the Dean of Michigan Painters. Working in a traditional representational style, Alten incorporated the aesthetics and techniques of the Impressionist Movement in paintings infused with light and punctuated with deft brushwork.

Although Mathias J. Alten embraced Grand Rapids as his home and his primary art market, his stylistic evolution and choice of subjects reflects a much broader sphere of influence. Throughout his long career he traversed the world, often accompanied by his family or by other artists. Alten painted numerous scenes in his home state of Michigan, with the majority of them created at the beginning and end of his career.