Doramaria Purschian

Doramaria Purschian (July 6, 1890 – July 11, 1972) was a German artist known for her Expressionist landscapes, still lifes, and portraits.

Early life and education
She was born Ella Margaretha Maria Dora Purschian in Berlin, the daughter of Ernst Purschian, an engineer, and Gabriela Purschian. She studied art at the Royal School of Art in Berlin, becoming one of the first women to complete an apprenticeship in the fine arts (the school did not admit women as full students until 1919). In 1909, she passed an exam to become a drawing teacher, but continued studying for several more years as a student of Lovis Corinth and Fritz Bürger.

During World War I, she served as a Red Cross nurse.

Art career
Following the war, she pursued an independent career as a painter until 1930, specializing in portraits. She also made drawings and at least one etching. When her brother Frank died in 1939, she took over management of his company.

In 1949, during the Berlin Blockade, she was the victim of a brutal robbery by the Gladow gang led by Werner Gladow. She never entirely recovered her health after this.

After World War II, her work was exhibited more widely and consistently. She earned an honorable mention at the 2nd Exhibition of European Painters in the United States (1969) and was appointed an honorary member of the Academy of Arts in Rome.

She died in Berlin in 1972 and later on a solo exhibition was mounted in Berlin in 1981.