Beautiful WWII era portrait of a young man by Louis Krupp (1888-1978). Charcoal on paper measures 16.5 x 22.5 inches; 25.5 x 31.5 inches framed. Signed and dated 1945 lower margin. A native of Landstuhl, Bavaria, Louis Krupp is set apart from other artists by the sheer industry of his portrait painting, which numbered over three thousand. He came to America from Germany to further his art career. He studied four years at the Chicago Art Institute with Wellington J Reynolds and Carl Buehr and also was a student at the Art Students League in New York. For years, he lived in Pensacola, Florida and there became a painter of portraits of military personnel as well as of water front scenes. After his military service, he taught portrait painting at the Pensacola Art Center and continued doing portrait commissions of leading citizens. In 1946, he moved to the West Coast and first settled in Seattle, Washington and then in Palm Springs, California where he became active in the Palm Springs and Laguna Beach Art Associations. His studio was at Rancho Mirage, and he taught portrait painting at the Palm Springs High School.