Fritz Lach

Fritz Lach (1868–1933), Austrian, Fritz Lach, an Austrian painter and graphic artist, was born on May 29, 1868, in Linz, and passed away on October 9, 1933, in Vienna. A nephew of the flower and still life painter Andreas Lach and a great-nephew of Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Lach's artistic lineage was distinguished. His early education in Linz was followed by attendance at a cadet school in Vienna from 1882 to 1885. Pursuing his passion for art, he studied at the Vienna Academy and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, learning under notable figures such as Eduard Peithner von Lichtenfels and his uncle Josef Hoffmann.
Before fully dedicating himself to art at the age of 32, Lach worked as an official for the DDSG in various Danube cities, including Orșova, Semlin (now part of Belgrade), and Regensburg. Settling in Vienna in 1900, he became a full-time artist by 1909. Lach was a member of the Austrian Artists' Association and the Dürer Association, leading the latter as chairman from 1916. Renowned for his landscape watercolors, he was celebrated as the most significant aquarellist since Rudolf von Alt. His contributions to art were recognized with numerous honors, including awards from the city of Vienna and the Dürer Association, and he was made an honorary citizen of Linz in 1925. Lach's legacy is commemorated in Linz with the Fritz-Lach-Weg, and his final resting place is in an honorary grave at Vienna's Central Cemetery. A bust by his friend, sculptor Josef Josephu, once adorned his grave but was later stolen.