Walter Ophey
German, 1882 – 1930
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Walter Hugo Ophey was a German painter and graphic designer, known for Rhenish Expressionism. He was a member of the Sonderbund group and Young Rhineland art groups.
Walter Hugo Ophey was born on 25 March 1882 in Eupen, Germany (now Belgium) to Louise Haeber and accountant Emil Ophey. His father died in December 1888 and his mother returned to work, teaching music lessons. He studied with sculptor Karl Krauss (1859–1906) in 1900. He attended Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf Art Academy) and studied under Fritz Roeber and Willy Spatz (1861–1931).
In 1912, Ophey joined the Sonderbund group with other Düsseldorf painters, Julius Bretz, Max Clarenbach, August Deusser, Wilhelm Schmurr, and brothers Karli Sohn-Rethel, Otto Sohn-Rethel and Alfred Sohn-Rethel.
On 12 February 1917, Walter Ophey married Bernhardine Bornemann (1879–1968).
In 1919, he was a founding member of Young Rhineland (Das Junge Rheinland) art association, alongside Werner Heuser, Heinrich Nauen, Adolf Uzarski, Arthur Kaufmann, Carlo Mense, and architect Wilhelm Kreis.