Willy Gretor

There, he became acquainted with members of the "Ibsenklub" (named after the playwright, Henrik Ibsen); a group of liberal young people who met to exchange ideas, about modern literature that had an aura of "mystery and scandal".

[1] Based on his correspondence, this led to a brief affair with Margarethe Gütschow [de], who later became an archaeologist, and an equally brief engagement to one of her cousins.

This network of relationships also led to a group trip to Paris, during which he began an affair with the painter, Maria Schorer.

In that capacity, he was involved as a middleman in the controversial sale of the wax bust, Flora, which was purchased by the Bode Museum in Berlin, from the English art dealer Murray Marks (1840-1918), in the belief that it was by Da Vinci.

It is generally assumed that Gretor served as the prototype for the title character in Wedekind's play, The Marquis of Keith.

Willy Gretor (c.1895)
Portrait of a Redhaired Boy