»We belong to each other indeed«. The letters

When Paula Becker first meets the considerably older Otto Modersohn in 1899, she is a young, ambitious artist who wants to paint at any cost; he, on the contrary, has already had a name for quite some time, is one of the founders of the artists’ colony in Worpswede, and, on top of it all, married. Nonetheless, their mutual attraction is undeniable and one year later they are a couple. The first letters they exchange while Paula Becker is travelling between Berlin and Paris already bear witness to the great affection they felt for each other but also to their great connection in terms of artistic creation. Later, their written correspondence would continuously prove to be a means for them to discuss painting as well as the formulation of artistic goals. And, last but not least, they are full of anecdotes concerning their circles of friends in Worpswede as well as Paula Becker’s amusement over her marriage preparation course in Berlin.

The surprising discovery of a great portion of Otto Modersohn’s letters to Paula Modersohn-Becker, which for many years were considered lost, makes it possible to illuminate this lively exchange for the first time.

Containing more than 160 letters, this is the first time that the two artists’ correspondence is being published in full.