Richard Gutschmidt

Richard Gutschmidt was a German painter, book illustrator, and graphic artist, born on May 11, 1861, in Neuruppin. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from October 15, 1884, to 1891 under the tutelage of Herterich and Löfftz. Gutschmidt traveled extensively as a painter, working in Munich, Berlin, and the Brandenburg region. He was a member of the Munich Artists’ Association and later joined the Luitpold Group.

Gutschmidt gained recognition in 1902 as the first German illustrator of the Sherlock Holmes stories. In 1905, he participated in a competition for advertising designs organized by Ludwig Stollwerck and Otto Henkell. His design was recommended for purchase by the judges for 200 Marks.