Otto Dill

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameOtto Carl Wilhelm•Dill
Used nameOtto•Dill
Nick/petnamesLöwen-Dill
Born4 June 1884 in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Rheinland-Pfalz (GER)
Died6 July 1957 in Bad Dürkheim, Rheinland-Pfalz (GER)
NOC Germany

Biography

Otto Dill first did an apprenticeship as a clerk in a publishing house. From 1908, he studied at the Munich Academy and then lived as a freelance artist. He was a member of the München Secession and frequently travelled to North Africa, France, Italy, and Spain. As an impressionist, he specialized in scenes of animals (bull, tiger, lion) and therefore he was given the nickname “Löwen-Dill” (Lion-Dill). He also loved to paint horse races and polo matches. During and after World War II, he lived and worked in Bad Dürkheim. In 1924 he was appointed professor. A large collection of his works was destroyed in 1943 by a bombing raid at the freight station of Ludwigshafen.

Besides Max Slevogt Dill is considered the most important painter of the München School in the Pfalz (Palatinate). However, his late Impressionist style was no longer considered up to date. In 2001 his native town opened a museum devoted solely to his work.

The attribution of Dill’s known paintings is not clear. Am Rennplatz (At the Race Track), entered in 1932, could be Auf dem Rennplatz, also known as Der Start, a painting in oil on canvas (60 x 80 cm). In 1928, there was also no congruency between the titles listed in the German and the international catalog. The titles of the paintings in the latter are _ At the Race Course_, Entering the Race Course and Horse Race and once again Horse Race as a drawing. The drawing is a sheet of 24 x 31.5 cm, drawn in pencil and chalk. The German catalog lists the paintings Polospieler (Polo Player_) and Zum Rennplatz (To the Race Course) and the drawings Vor dem Ausritt (Before the Ride and Pferderennen (Horse Race). There are also discrepancies in Dill’s entries between different editions of the international catalog.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1928 Summer Olympics Art Competitions GER Otto Dill
Painting, Drawings And Water Colors, Open (Olympic) AC
Painting, Paintings, Open (Olympic) AC
Painting, Paintings, Open (Olympic) AC
Painting, Paintings, Open (Olympic) AC
1932 Summer Olympics Art Competitions GER Otto Dill
Painting, Paintings, Open (Olympic) AC