Hans Otto Schönleber was the son of the very successful landscape painter Alois Schönleber; He studied medicine and after qualifying served in the medical corps at the front in the 1914-1918 war. The terrible experiences he suffered affected him so badly that after trying to practice medicine after the war he had a nervous breakdown which resulted in his abandoning medicine and deciding to become an artist. Besides being a painter, he took up printing copper and wood engravings in the manner of the old masters. His technique was prodigious but his style was contrary to the artistic trends of the day and his work was largely ignored. He was also over-shadowed by his father's reputation. At the age of 41 he committed suicide. Although he engraved many allegorical scenes and portraits, his landscape drawings and prints are of particular interest and they cetainly influenced the landscape prints of M C Escher (see "Leben und Werk M C Escher", J L Locher, nos. 206, 247, 266).