Otto Müller (November 21, 1898 – December 9, 1979) was a German painter and graphic designer. Life and work Parental home Müller was born on November 21, 1898 in Cröllwitz, which since 1900 was a part of the city of Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. He was the first child of the engine driver Karl Christoph Friedrich Otto Müller (1874–1951) and Anna Müller, née Schmidt (1876–1923). He had one brother and two sisters. As a child, Müller spent a considerable amount of time with his paternal grandmother in Halle-Trotha. Education Müller went to school in Halle for eight years, after which his father expected him to start an apprenticeship as an electrician. He was rejected however on account of his small stature and went on instead to train as a lithographer from 1913 to 1917. During this period, he also attended evening classes in drawing and painting at the Staatliche Städtische Handwerkerschule, later known as the Kunstgewerbeschule Burg Giebichenstein (Burg Giebichstein Academy of Arts and Crafts, in Halle. During the First World War in 1918, Müller was called up to serve in the 18th Foot Artillery Regiment Kirchenhain on the Western Front in France. Marked by his experiences during this time, he became a pacifist and remained so for the rest of his life. Showing something of a Schwejkian streak, Müller often took to drawing when on duty, and he was soon given the task of looking after the regimental horses. After being demobilised in 1919, he started studying painting at the Burg Giebichenstein Academy of Arts and Crafts, where he was a student of Professor Erwin Hahs (1887–1970). During this period, he formed strong and lasting friendships with fellow students Paul Zilling (1900–1953) and Helmut Schröder (1910–1974). In 1927, both Müller and Helmut Schröder joined a class taught by Charles Crodel, newly appointed to Burg Giebichstein as professor for painting and graphics. During his time in Charles Crodel's class, Müller befriended Kurt Bunge (1911–1998). In different ways, Erwin Hahs and Charles Crodel both influenced Müller's artistic development. Encouraged by both of these teachers, Müller came to see a precise study of nature as the basis for all artistic work. Müller is also indebted to Erwin Hahs for training his formal means of expression in terms of a constructive composition encompassing abstract art. At the same time, he preferred Charles Crodel's practical approach to Erwin Hahs’ more theoretical teaching methods. With his practical