William Pape

Friedrich Georg William Pape (3 September 1859 – 13 December 1920) was a German painter and illustrator.

He received further lessons from Hermann Prell and at the Académie Julian in Paris from Jules-Joseph Lefebvre and Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant.

His painting, One Empire, One People, One God (German: Ein Reich, Ein Volk, Ein Gott), which depicted the 18 January 1896 celebration marking the 25th anniversary of the founding of the German Empire, attracted the attention of the German court, who purchased the painting, which was owned personally by Kaiser Wilhelm II.

The Kaiser also personally owned Paper's 1898 painting, Confirmation of the Crown Prince and Prince Eitel Friedrich (German: Die Konfirmation des Kronprinzen und des Prinzen Eitel Friedrich).

[3] Pape was also a sought after portrait artist and was able to personally portray both the Emperor and his family several times, including, The Royal Family in Park Sanssouci: Wilhelm II, the Empress and the eldest princes..[4] He also painted portraits of many politicians, academics, artists, and aristocrats of the German Empire (many of which are held at the Berlinische Galerie),[5] including: Beginning in 1900, One Empire, One People, One God and The Unveiling of the Kaiser Wilhelm I Monument in Berlin served as a template for the 5 and 3 Reichsmarks, respectively.