A colorful oil painting by Mathias J. Alten of a building facade with arches

Three woman gather around a bush covered with purple flowers

An oil painting by Mathias alten of a sycamore tree and a blue sky with clouds.

An oil painting by Mathias J. Alten of two horses pulling a carriage with a man inside.

All Exhibitions

Mathias J. Alten: An Enduring Legacy

Oct 24, 2020 — Apr 24, 2021

PAST EXHIBITION

In the early to mid-20^th century, Alten was nationally recognized for his landscapes, still lifes, and portraits that drew on traditional European painting as well as more contemporary styles, like Impressionism.

Alten emigrated from Germany to Michigan as a young man, settling with his family in Grand Rapids in 1889, where he lived for the rest of his life. Drawn from regional art collections both institutional and private, this exhibition celebrates Alten’s ongoing legacy on the 150^th anniversary of his birth.

As an immigrant to this country, Alten worked hard to establish himself in a new homeland. In the decades leading up to the 20^th century, the United States experienced rapid economic and urban growth, driven by industrialization and immigration. Alten was part of this wave of new immigrants, drawn to Michigan by lumber production and the many factories and jobs it supported. His first work in Grand Rapids, at the age of seventeen, was as a furniture decorator in local factories. He continued to seek opportunities to further his artistic skills and took on local commissions to decorate public buildings. Desiring to become a professional artist, he took painting lessons and painted whenever and wherever he could, even while running his father-in-law’s paint and wallpaper store. In 1899, Alten established a studio and school in downtown Grand Rapids with another local artist. He went on to widely exhibit and sell his paintings, and to become one of the region’s most respected — and successful — artists.

The breadth of Alten’s artistic approaches and interests across his career are reflected in the range of paintings and other works on view in the exhibition. There are family portraits and self-portrait studies, floral still lifes, mural-sized allegorical works created for public spaces, and scenes of the natural world, for which he is best known. Included are highlights from GRAM’s permanent collection, the Grand Valley State University Art Gallery, the Grand Rapids Public Library, and rarely seen works from private collections.

“Nearing the 150^th anniversary of Alten’s birth, An Enduring Legacy celebrates his contribution to the arts in our city,”

— GRAM Director and CEO Dana Friis-Hansen

Exhibition Support

Support for this exhibition is generously provided by:

Wege Foundation

The Meijer Foundation

Anita M. Gilleo

Gregory and Rajene Betz

James and Mary Nelson

Allen and Nancy Vander Laan

Greg and Meg Willit

Mary Loupee

Lizbeth O’Shaughnessy and Terry Rathbun

Jane and John Meilner

brightly

Burr & Company

Robert Daverman, AIA / Grand Rapids Community Foundation

Eenhoorn, LLC.

Haworth, Inc.

Dirk and June Hoffius

Miner S. and Mary Ann Keeler Foundation

Hank and Liesel Meijer

Progressive AE

Additional support provided by the Friends of Alten: Anita Carter, Phillip and Julie Croll, Drake Quinn Family Foundation, George H. and Barbara Gordon, Inta Grace, J.C. and Tammy Huizenga, Birgit M. Klohs and Greg Northrup, Wallson and Rebecca Knack, Stephanie Naito, Doug and Nancy Padnos, Ruth Posthumus and Marlin Feyen, Daniel L. and Ellen VanderMey, Frank and Sharon Van Haven.

Additional funding provided by GRAM Exhibition Society.