Paula Modersohn-Becker

Paula Modersohn-Becker (8 February 1876 – 21 November 1907) was a German painter, a key figure in early Expressionism and a pioneer of modern women artists. During a decade of intense work, she created around 750 works, including nearly 300 oil paintings, mainly portraits, female nudes, still lifes and landscapes. Her style is marked by simplified forms, pure colours and strong psychological expressiveness. She died at age 31, only eighteen days after giving birth to her first child. During her lifetime she sold only a few paintings and received very limited recognition. (source: Wikipedia)