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Graef, Richard

Richard Graef (1879-1945) was the son of a farmer, born in 1879. He was a black sheep of the family, being something of a rogue and a consummate artist. There's no record of where Graef trained, but he did spend some time in Leipzig, where he eventually married one of his patron's daughters, Sabine Licht. Licht was an artist in her own right, and they eventually had one child, Peter Graef. They lived both in Crossen on der Oder (a small town in what was once Prussia) and Munich. In Crossen, they were known as quite a Bohemian couple and loved hosting parties. One of the young people who frequented their home was a certain Peter Mildebrath, a printer, and his soon-to-be-bride Inge Wagner, the daughter of Sigfried Wagner, a military man who participated in the ill-fated plot to kill Hitler. This couple would eventually smuggle Peter Graef out of Germany with beautifully printed false papers.

The family's political sensibility was to cost them dearly. Richard had been a regular contributor to a political satire magazine called Simplicissimus, which roughly translates into "simplicity" but also means perhaps "simpletons" and other sly digs at the culture. Germans love puns and constantly play with language. The magazine had been around for decades and jabbed at everybody, but when Hitler came to power, he banned it. They simply went underground and kept on publishing. The only way Hitler could quash the paper was to kill the artists, which he eventually did, one by one.

Richard Graef went into hiding for a number of years; starving like many Germans. It was the courage and goodness of friends that kept him alive. At one point, before Sabine disappeared into hiding herself, she was taken captive in her own home by the Nazi's and forced to serve the officers who lived there and used the home as a headquarters. That period ended when she was told that the Russians were coming and she'd better take what she could carry and get out. She piled some family treasures into a wheelbarrow and fled. Her last look at her house was to see it blown up by low-flying Russian planes. Other than the few pieces in that wheelbarrow, the family owns nothing more by Graef.

Richard Graef was discovered by the Nazi's and summarily shot a few months before the war ended. He was 65.

My sincere thanks to Jocelyn Graef, the granddaughter of Richard Graef (and daughter of Peter Graef), who provided the biographical information above. It is because of the CAF galleries that Jocelyn found that I had work by her grandfather and contacted me. Jocelyn also provided the photos of Graef that are on this page.

There are 11 Pieces of Art In This Gallery.    

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Richard Graef - 1913 Simplicissimus Cartoon Illustration

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	2266
Comments:	1
Added to Site:	12/16/2004

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef - 1913 Simplicissimus Cartoon Illustration
Artist: Richard Graef (All)
2266 Views, 1 Comment

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Richard Graef - Russian Prisoners - 1917

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (Penciller)
Media Type:	Pencil
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	755
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	4/23/2009

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef - Russian Prisoners - 1917
Artist: Richard Graef (Penciller)
755 Views

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Richard Graef - Tree

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (Penciller)
Media Type:	Pencil
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	798
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	4/23/2009

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef - Tree
Artist: Richard Graef (Penciller)
798 Views

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Richard Graef - Sketchbook Page #1

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (Penciller)
Media Type:	Pencil
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	901
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	4/23/2009

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef - Sketchbook Page #1
Artist: Richard Graef (Penciller)
901 Views

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Richard Graef - Sketchbook Page #2

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (Penciller)
Media Type:	Pencil
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	687
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	4/23/2009

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef - Sketchbook Page #2
Artist: Richard Graef (Penciller)
687 Views

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Richard Graef -- Sketch Page with Figures

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	874
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	1/12/2006

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef -- Sketch Page with Figures
Artist: Richard Graef (All)
874 Views

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Richard Graef -- Drawing for Exhibition Invitation

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	748
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	1/12/2006

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef -- Drawing for Exhibition Invitation
Artist: Richard Graef (All)
748 Views

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Richard Graef -- Man With Pipe Walking

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (All)
Media Type:	Mixed Media
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	888
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	1/12/2006

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef -- Man With Pipe Walking
Artist: Richard Graef (All)
888 Views

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Richard Graef -- Winged Man and Woman

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (All)
Media Type:	Mixed Media
Art Type:	Prelim
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	632
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	1/12/2006

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef -- Winged Man and Woman
Artist: Richard Graef (All)
632 Views

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Richard Graef -- Photo #2

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (All)
Media Type:	Photograph
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	631
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	1/12/2006

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef -- Photo #2
Artist: Richard Graef (All)
631 Views

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Richard Graef -- Photo

Art Details

Artist:	Richard Graef (All)
Media Type:	Photograph
Art Type:	Other
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	708
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	1/12/2006

About the Owner

Rob Stolzer
Member Since:	September 2004

Richard Graef -- Photo
Artist: Richard Graef (All)
708 Views

There are 11 Pieces of Art In This Gallery.    

About the Owner Rob Stolzer Premium Gallery Owner Joined: September 2004 Last Login: January 2026 Ebay Id: robart Website: https://freeassociationfunnies.com/ Country: UNITED STATES On CAF: Rob's Classifieds Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF Read More About RobStolzer

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