Gustav Graef (1821 - 1895)

Gustav Graef

Gustav Graef was a German painter of the second half of the 19th century. He is known as a painter who specialized in historical and portrait painting.

Graef was commissioned early in his career to create murals for the New Museum in Berlin. One of his famous works was the giant monumental canvas "Charlemagne Adopts Vidukind". The artist also created scenes from the tales of Hercules and Theseus for the Old Museum in Berlin. Then in his genre paintings he moved from mythology to modern history. The master later concentrated on portrait painting, creating idealized female portraits that brought him commercial success. In 1880, at the height of his fame, Graef became a member of the Prussian Academy of Arts.