Günter Rittner (1927 - 2020)

Günter Rittner

Günter Rittner was a German painter of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He is known as a painter and graphic artist and is considered one of the most prominent German portraitists of his time.

Rittner participated in World War II, was a prisoner of war and this experience left a deep mark on his work. He found inspiration in the works of artists such as Munch, Cézanne, Van Gogh and Gauguin. In the 1950s he made a number of trips to France, Great Britain and Italy, where he created numerous urban and rural landscapes. The artist was particularly successful with portrait commissions from politicians, scientists and entrepreneurs. His portraits began the history of the gallery at the Federal Chancellor's Office founded by Helmut Schmidt in 1976.