Heinrich Vogeler Martha Vogeler und Paula Modersohn-Becker im Garten schlafend c1904

Heinrich Vogeler (1872— 1942) was born in Bremen and studied at the Düsseldorf Academy of Art in 1890-95. His artistic explorations during this period included visits to Belgium and Italy. Vogeler was one of the central members of the original colony of artists in Worpswede*, which he joined in 1894. In 1895 Vogeler bought a cottage there and planted many birch trees around it, which gave the house a new name: Barkenhoff, which is German for "Birkenhof," or "birch cottage"). In 1901 he married Martha Schröder.