Cottage by the river

Born in Jelgava, Latvia as Janis Valter, Johannes Walter-Kurau began his artistic education in Russia in 1889, as a student at the Imperial Academy of Arts in St Petersburg. After completing his studies in Berlin and Paris, he took part in exhibitions all over Europe, notably as part of the Berlin Secession and Mir Iskusstva, and developed a reputation as a refined colourist specialising in portraits and landscapes.