Gustav Adolf Closs (1864-1938) is one of the many applied artists who, in the period just before photographs could be reproduced as autotypes, provided the public with millions of reproduced illustrations, picture postcards, advertising collectibles, and more. The portrayal of his life and multifaceted work thus becomes a mosaic piece for the examination of the everyday and social history of art during the Wilhelminian Empire and its demise. The present monograph meticulously documents all the facts that could be found about Closs and his work, thereby creating an exemplary image of a conservative, albeit talented, artist who ultimately failed in a time of rapid political and artistic upheaval. Closs, connected to the tradition of Romanticism through his family background and his Swabian homeland, dedicated himself to historical painting, which was already considered outdated by his time. While always accurately depicting weapons, uniforms, costumes, and heraldry, he developed a distinctly personal style. Despite good connections to the highest nobility, he could not establish himself in "official" painting and found his main field of activity in countless works for everyday use. When Closs faced economic ruin after World War I—like many of his colleagues—he was able to turn a hobby into a profession: he became a respected heraldist and arms expert. Much of Closs's extensive body of work is today largely unknown, lost, or destroyed. The approximately 50-page catalog of works appended to the text strives to provide as complete a listing as possible of paintings, illustrations, picture postcards, advertisements, ex-libris, and more, as well as works for theater, festivals, parades, and much more.