Otto Natzler

Otto Natzler (January 31, 1908 – April 7, 2007) was an Austrian–born ceramicist. With his wife Gertrud Natzler, he produced what were considered some of the most admired ceramic pieces of the 20th century.

Personal life The son of Dr. Sigmund Natzler, a dentist, and a stay-at-home mother Regina Frieda Lowy, Natzler was born in Vienna, Austria and first exposed to art by his uncle. He began his working life at the age of 15 by taking a textile design course and subsequently finding employment devising colour schemes at a local necktie factory, a company that was blacklisted in Nazi Germany and shut down in 1933.

Work

1938 marked the beginning of the Naztlers' serious commitment to their craft. After winning the silver medal on March 11 of that year, the couple married in June and fled Vienna for Los Angeles in September, with the help of Otto's cousin.

Collections

The Grace Museum, Abilene, Texas Cooper-Hewitt Museum Everson Museum of Art Honolulu Museum of Art Kantonales Gewerbemuseum Los Angeles County Museum of Art Metropolitan Museum of Art Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche Museum of Arts and Design Museum of Modern Art Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Smithsonian American Art Museum Victoria and Albert Museum