Julie Wolf, who employed the pseudonym Wolfthorn, was a founding member of the Berlin Secession.
Julie Wolfthorn’s friends included the architect Hermann Muthesius and his wife Anna. Like her husband, Anna Muthesius was active in the Reform Movement. She fought against the corset and its detrimental effects on health by writing a book, giving lectures and creating designs for loose, comfortable clothing for women.
Not only the portrait of Anna Muthesius, but also the small beach pictures reveal a connection to the architect’s family; Julie Wolfthorn often visited them in their house on Hiddensee, where she produced the sketches in oils.