“Marriage takes away hope”: How artist Paula Moderson-Becker sought a balance between family and work

At the end of the 19th century, the inhabitants of the German village of Vorpsvede only said that they were talking about eccentric artists who lived there. Young men and women wandered with sketchbooks in the vicinity of Vorpsveda, transferring stunted birch trees, small rivers and stale foliage to the canvas. The canvases of one of them, Otto Moderson, were seen at the exhibition by a young artist – Paula Becker – and this completely turned her life upside down.

Paula Becker was born in Dresden. Her father was an engineer, and her mother came from a noble family of von Bulttsingsleven. Parents devoted all their efforts to ensure that their three offspring received a good education and upbringing – but they thought very traditionally, so Paula had to study languages ​​and home economics. Continue reading →