Pauline Kowarzik, née Fellner and widowed by Guaita, was born in Frankfurt in 1852 and grew up in an educated middle class environment. She received private painting and drawing lessons at a young age. Around the turn of the century, Kowarzik took lessons from the neo-impressionist Curt Herrmann, and later also from Heinrich Campendonk. So she also had technical knowledge of contemporary painting styles.