Enter to view paintings

Ralf was born in Chicago in 1970. At an early age he excelled as an artist and gained artistic recognition during his high school years when he was honored with the "Scholastic Award" for painting. This national prize is awarded to a select group of young artists throughout the country, and it enabled Ralf to pursue more advanced training in his field.

In Chicago he was a student at the renowned American Academy of Art, and he also trained at that city’s Palette and Chisel Academy. Upon graduation from high school, Ralf was ready to leave Chicago in order to begin focused training in an academic environment, and from 1991-92 he studied at the Lyme Academy of Fine Art in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Again, Ralf’s talent brought him to the forefront of his class. His subtly handled landscapes and figurative works were also admired by gallery owner Jeffrey Cooley, who felt the young artist’s paintings deserved to be brought to the attention of a wider audience. Ralf had his first solo exhibition at The Cooley Gallery at the age of 22. Fifteen years and six solo shows later, Ralf’s reputation has grown exponentially.

Ralf’s poetic Connecticut River landscapes established his reputation as an artist, making him somewhat of a local hero around Lyme, whose residents are proud of the region’s landscape and artistic heritage. His paintings have been described as “sensual,” “playful,” “joyous,” and “spirited”. The introspective, quiet and deeply personal side of Ralf comes out in his body of work depicting the varied interiors he himself haunts and visits. Like his forebears, Ralf’s paintings resonate with an unselfconscious freedom that comes with mastery of one’s craft.

Ralf’s paintings are voraciously collected, and they have found homes in private and corporate collections throughout the United States.

< Back