Marie Altena
Marie van Regteren Altena was born in 1868 into an aristocratic Dutch family who moved in circles that considered art to be a sign of good taste and wealth. With no real need to work, painting allowed Altena to meet likeminded individuals. During her art studies in the late 19th century she met Jo Strumpff, Lizzy Ansingh, Nelly Bodeheim, Coba Ritsema, Jacoba Surie and Betsy Westendorp-Osieck. Together these women formed an influential group that became known as "the Amsterdam Joffers".
In the early 20th century Altena moved to Soeren where she spent the summers painting still lifes and flowers, returning to Amsterdam after her workshop was bombed in 1944. She made regular study trips to Prague and Rome and exhibited outside of the Netherlands in, amongst other places, Vienna, Venice, Barcelona and Edinburgh. Within the Netherlands her work became sought after by the local aristocracy. In addition to the Joffers, Altena was also a member of art societies and galleries including “Arti et Amicitiae” in Amsterdam and "Pulchri" in The Hague. She died in 1958.