Emil Fuchs was born in Vienna, Austria on 9 August 1866 and studied at the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna and at the Preußische Akademie der Künste in Berlin. In 1891 he won the German Prix de Rome and subsequently lived in Rome until 1897. In 1897 he moved to London where he lived until 1915. During this period he painted portraits of members of the Royal Family and the aristocracy. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and from 1898 taught at the Royal Academy Schools. In addition to his work as a painter, he was also a sculptor and medallist. In 1915 because of growing anti-German sentiment in Britain following the outbreak of World War One, he moved to the USA and settled in New York City. He subsequently became a US citizen in 1924.