Ludwig Graf

Austrian Ludwig Ferdinand was the son of the painter Ludwig Graf (1838-94). He studied in Wien (Vienna), together with Rudolf Eisenmenger and others, and in Paris at the Académie Julian. He painted in the impressionistic style, heavily influenced by the style of French painter Paul Cézanne. Graf preferred landscapes, genre scenes and still lifes.

After a short spell at Vienna Künstlerhaus, Graf became a member of the Hagenbund in 1901, and then in 1909 its chairman and eventually an honorary member. In 1907 he traveled to the USA. During World War I he was assigned to the war press quarters. A lung disease finally prevented his further artistic activity. Typical for Graf was a strong, dazzling colorfulness. A likely candidate for his 1928 entry The Fighters, aka Fencers, could be the painting Fencers, Just Fighting a Duel, a 101 x 101 cm oil painting from 1919.