Anita Clara Rée

Anita Clara Rée (1885–1933) was a German-Jewish painter whose work was condemned as “degenerate” by the Nazi regime. Known for her pared-back portraits and spiritual symbolism, Rée combined modernist influences with a stark, emotional clarity. A key figure in the Hamburg art scene, she was silenced both by anti-Semitism and by institutional rejection. Her deeply expressive paintings, often focused on female figures, remain powerful records of identity, alienation and resistance. Anita died by suicide in 1933.