Life
Rainer Maria Latzke was raised in an extended family with nine siblings. His parents were both artists and he and his siblings grew up in an artistic surrounding where everyone were painting, drawing or playing music. Like his siblings Rainer developed his artistic skills from early age on and the capturing of his ideas and daily-life experiences in drawings or paintings became the base for his subsequent career.
Rainer Maria Latzke was born in December 28, 1950 in a small village in a remote mountainous region in the German Rhineland. In 1956 his father Alfons, who studied like his mother Lisa art at the Berlin Academy of Arts, was promoted to an art teacher in Euskirchen, a small town near Cologne. Here Rainer grew up and later devoted the “Pictures from the Province” to this provincial but endearing town. After finishing the high school in 1971 he studied art at the Dusseldorf Academy of Arts under the then still unknown Gerhard Richter, who later became one of the most renowned contemporary artists. Latzke finished the Art school with the title of a Master Student and degrees in Art, Philosophy and Art Pedagogic, because his father, commemorating his own experiences, would have not supported him, if he wouldn´t have studied something which would provide him at least a decent living as a teacher. And his father was proven right: After his studies the contemporary art scene was not interested in the 
art of Rainer Maria Latzke, which was considered as “coming 200 years too late” as the artist was told by one gallery owner. This only changed in 1977, when Latzke quitted the teaching job and went to Italy, because he considered “it would be nicer to starve under the sun than in the rain” There he experienced the frescos of the Renaissance masters in life size and in its architectural surrounding which should change his life. He engaged himself intensely in the painting techniques and started to develop a new mural style by combining classical painting with modern ideas. After his return to Germany his unique art became known quickly. Newspapers and magazines featured his works; the luxury department store Harrods in London opened the doors to Middle Eastern royal families and companies like Mercedes Benz adorned themselves with his artistic backdrops. In 1981 he married Doris Boecke with whom he has three children. In 1982 the family moved to Stepprath Manor, a historic mansion surrounded by a large park near to Aachen at the Belgian border.
In 1986 he acquired the Chateau Thal in Belgium. The castle had been for centuries the ancestral seat of the counts of Grand Ry, but was abandoned after the extinct of the family and was in a bad condition when Latzke acquired it. Latzke restored the castle and the surrounding park to its former beauty and made it a showcase of his art and interior design. In 1991 Latzke took a break and travelled to California, where the family lived for one year in the former residence of Hollywood actor Nick Nolte. During this time he discovered digital image treatment techniques and engaged himself intensively, recognizing the impact this new technology would also have on art and design. He started working on digital based reproduction method for wall paintings, which led to the invention of the Frescography for which he was awarded a patent in 2000. In 1995 he acquired a Provincial estate at the Cote d´Azur and transformed it into a spacious guest house for his family and friends. After experiencing the enjoyable life in South France the family moved in 1996 to Monte Carlo. 
In 1998 he acquired and restored the “Villa Paradou”, the former residence of Oscar winning Henry Chretien, the inventor of the cinemascope technique. In this villa, nestled in the hills of Monte Carlo and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, he spent his time working on private projects and enjoying being with his family, making music and recording his own songs. There he also wrote his book “Dreamworlds, the making of a room with illusionistic wall painting” In 2007 he received a call for Adj. Professor for Mural Painting from the Utah State University. In 2010 he was appointed Master of the Mural Art Studio of the Beijing De Tao Masters Academy. The same year he was awarded the Honorary Professorship for his achievements in the field of mural painting from the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art of the renowned Fudan University. International StandingRainer Maria Latzke is considered to be the originator of the Neo-Renaissance style in mural painting. His combination of classical painting techniques and modern perception influenced many other muralists. His wide and open landscapes are regarded as classics of contemporary mural painting; many of his motifs are often cited icons. His murals can be found in private houses all over the world, in 5-star Hotels and cruising ships as well as in public buildings like the Vienna Town Hall. His clients include royal families of the UAE, rock stars and major companies like Mercedes Benz. International Media such as Herald Tribune call him “Michelangelo of Modern Days”, in 1992 he was elected by the Forbes magazine as the most influential person of the decade in the field of painting; the Artists Trade Union of Russia ranks him amongst the world-best artists of the last four centuries.
Rainer Maria Latzke´s life in pictures
