In February 1877, Gabriele Münter was born in Berlin as the fourth child and youngest of the family, but grew up mainly in Herford and Koblenz. Her great talent for drawing, for precisely characterizing people with just a few outlines, was evident at an early age. The 20-year-old began studying art at a private school in Düsseldorf, as women were not yet allowed to attend public universities at the time. The naturalistic style taught there, based on traditional techniques such as the sculptural modeling of the subject using black and white hatching, contrasts with her clear, analytical talent. A two-year visit to relatives in America, during which over 400 photographs were taken, was a welcome change. Then, in 1901, the 24-year-old Gabriele Münter moved to the art metropolis of Munich. She wanted to improve her drawing technique there and study sculpture. She soon met and fell in love with Wassily Kandinsky in Munich. Although the head of a painting class, who was over 10 years older than Kandinsky, was already married, they secretly got engaged on one of the many study trips to the Munich area. The painting couple traveled to Holland, Tunis, Italy, France and many other places - not only for the sake of education, but also to create a physical distance from Kandinsky's wife Anja. In August 1908, together with the artist couple Marianne von Werefkin and Alexej von Jawlensky, they made a legendary painting trip to Murnau, which led to the founding of the "New Munich Artists' Association" in 1909 and the formation of the editorial staff of the "Blue Rider" in 1911. The painters of the "Blue Rider" found a completely new, expressive style of painting here, which turned away from the techniques of the old academic picture tradition and towards the use of bright and contrasting color values. From then on, the main concern was no longer the exact reproduction of nature, but the reproduction of subjective feelings in motifs reduced to basic forms. Impressed by the clarity and beauty of the landscape, Münter and Kandinsky chose Murnau as their location in the summer months of 1909 and lived in the house on Kottmüllerallee that Gabriele Münter had bought. The outbreak of the First World War tore apart existing groups and partnerships. Gabriele Münter spent almost five years in Scandinavia. After her return in 1920, she had to cope with the disappointment of the broken relationship with Kandinsky, whom she had last seen four years previously. She tried hard to regain her footing in the German art scene and give her life a direction. She moved frequently and financed herself more or less by drawing portraits. It was not until the end of the 1920s that she was able to look forward with hope again after she met the art historian Johannes Eichner, with whom she developed a deep friendship. Following an inspiring study trip to France, the 54-year-old chose Murnau as her permanent residence in 1931. Gabriele Münter and Johannes Eichner survived the threatening fascism under the National Socialists as well as the Second World War and its consequences, withdrawing into their house on Kottmüllerallee, which was now suitable for winter use. In the mid-1950s, Münter's painting was again appreciated, not least thanks to the support of Johannes Eichner and the rediscovery of the art of the "Blue Rider". On her 80th birthday, Gabriele Münter donated a comprehensive collection of priceless works by the "Blue Rider" to the city of Munich in the form of the Gabriele Münter and Johannes Eichner Foundation. The basis of this unique collection were the works of art from the shared household with Wassily Kandinsky, which were awarded to her after their separation. Gabriele Münter painted with undiminished enthusiasm until the end of her life. She died on May 19, 1962 at the age of 84 in her house in Murnau. Her grave can still be visited today in the cemetery of St. Nicholas Church, with a view over Murnau to the Münter House.