Lotte Laserstein was born in Prussia, in what is now Holland.
Showed artistic talent from early on and when the family moved to Berlin in 1912 - Lotte attended art school there. In 1919 was admitted to the Berlin Academy and studied under Erich Wolfsfeld for six years. Won the Gold Medal in 1925. Her first one man show was at Fritz Gurlitt's Berlin Gallery in 1930. Laserstein contributed several times to exhibitions at the Preussische Akademie der Kunste, the Glapalast and elsewhere in Berlin. Also exhibited in Hamburg, Munich and showed three paintings at the 1937 Paris World Fair. The Nazi government made life for Laserstein (who was one quarter Jewish) difficult. In 1935 she was forced to close her studio. In 1936 was invited by her friends to Sweden. She took with her few examples of her work, which impressed the curator of Stockholm's National Museum and gave her a number of introductions to commercial galleries. Galleri Modern offered her an exhibition in 1937. Settled in Sweden and acquired a substantial reputations as a portrait painter. Was a member of the Swedish Academy of Arts for over fifty years. In 1958 spent three months in the United States. Exhibited at Agnew's and the Belgrave Gallery in 1987. Her work is represented in National Portrait Gallery in London and others.