Otto Sohn Rethel 1877 - 1949
German

From the late 19th century until the mid 1930s countless, mostly wealthy, Northern European men who were gay exiled themselves to Capri off the coast of Naples and to Taormina in Sicily . At the time Italy , along with France , had a far more tolerant attitude to human sexuality than their neighbors to the north who felt that prison was the best “solution” for gay men. Hence, by the fin de siecle Taormina and Capri has become something of up-scale “ Fire Islands ” of their time.

Sohn-Rhetel, smitten with Capri and its young men, moved there permanently in 1904. He developed a distinguished career as an artist, becoming part of the Munich Secession (19-teens), exhibiting in the Albert Flechtheim Galleries and was frequently published in the art journal Die Querschintt.

With its large community of gay artists, writers and intellectuals Capri and Taormina became “must visit” places for many celebrated personalities