Born in Melbourne in 1899, died in Feldafing, Munich, Germany in 1987. Encouraged by his artistic parents, Scharf was acclaimed as a child prodigy and at 14 years of age his first exhibition clearly demonstrated his talent for art. The proceeds from the exhibition enabled him to realize his dream of traveling to study abroad. Immigrating to Munich, Germany in 1914 he became a painter, printmaker and illustrator. In the early 1920s, he produced his best remembered work, Night in a city, a portfolio of twenty etchings. Scharf later became a war artist for Nazi Germany and except for 6 years in Melbourne in the 1950s, Germany was to remain his home for the rest of his life.
Theo Scharf visited Macedonia region in 1943 as a German Nazi military artist. He produced collection of drawing and watercolors, mainly depicting olive trees, and people from Thessaloniki region. Full information about his life can be obtained from a downloadable biography from the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
