Mathias Alten Home & Studio / Mathias Alten

Grand Rapids painter Mathias Alten and his wife, Bertha, bought this house in 1914. Built in 1907, it was Alten's home and, from 1930 to 1938, his studio. Alten, who emigrated from Germany to Grand Rapids in 1889 at age 17, was a muralist who worked for churches, theatres, and businesses. He soon became a prolific oil painter, steadily developing his style, while traveling extensively. Alten held exhibitions here. Mathias Alten Local artist Mathias J. Alten (1871 - 1938) sailed to Paris in 1898 to study art at Academies Julian and Colorossi. Alten traveled and painted throughout Europe and the U.S., depicting in his Impressionistic style a range of subjects: still lifes, landscapes, portraits, and animal studies. Above all, he was devoted to West Michigan, from Saugatuck to Leland. His work has been widely exhibited and hangs in private collections, museums, and other public spaces in Michigan and elsewhere.