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Gustav Adolf Carl Closs also as Closs, A., Closs, A.G., Closz (or Closz), Adolf Gustav (6 May 1864,Stuttgart – 3 September 1938,Berlin) was a German painter, illustrator,heraldist andentomologist.
His father was the woodcut artist, Adolf Closs (1840–1894). His father's twin brother was the landscape painter,Gustav Paul Closs. He began his education in the public schools of Stuttgart; graduating in 1882. He then enrolled at theUniversity of Tübingen, where he studied law. He also briefly attended theUniversity of Freiburg. In 1886, he quit without having completed his course of study.
Having decided on a change of careers, he was admitted to theAcademy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe, where he studied with Ernst Schurth (1848–1910). After one year, he transferred to theAcademy of Fine Arts, Munich, and became a student ofWilhelm von Diez. Being rather conservative, he apparently declined to join theMunich Secession. While there, he began providing illustrations for local periodicals. Among his first were a set of drawings forDer Feuerreiter byEduard Mörike; published inDie Gartenlaube.
After leaving the academy in 1891, he returned to Stuttgart, but continued providing illustrations for the popular satirical journalFliegende Blätter for twenty years. In 1898, he received a prize for histrading card designs from theStollwerck chocolate company. In 1907, he married Martha Pauline Karoline Pfaff, the daughter of a musical instrument maker, thirteen years his junior. The marriage produced no children.
Among his book illustrations are those forLichtenstein byWilhelm Hauff,Die Sklavenkaravane byKarl May andSchillers Heimatjahre byHermann Kurz.
Despite the fact that illustrative work provided the bulk of his income, he considered himself to be primarily a painter. Among his major works were wall paintings at Schöckingen Castle inDitzingen andRapperswil Castle, which were commissions provided through his friendship with Friedrich von Gaisberg-Schöckingen (1857–1932). He also did work atHellenstein Castle. Several similar works were destroyed duringWorld War II. One of his most famous works was a scene from the life ofRoland, created at the request of KaiserWilhelm II. He also produced some paintings for KingCarol I of Romania and designedstained-glass windows, made byFranz Xaver Zettler for theKösener Senioren-Convents-Verband.
His friend, Gaisberg-Schöckingen, introduced him to the art of heraldry. From 1918 to 1934, he was a member of the "Verein für Heraldik, Genealogie und verwandte Wissenschaften zu Berlin", serving as Deputy-Chairman. He also edited thecoats-of-arms for theGenealogisches Handbuch bürgerlicher Familien.
After theNazi takeover, he was employed as a heraldic expert by theDeutscher Gemeindetag [de].Closs was a keen amateurentomologist specialising inSphingidae.He wrote
Two notable hawk moths described by Closs areXylophanes indistincta andAdhemarius fulvescens. His Sphingidae collection is held by theBavarian State Collection of Zoology seelist of ZSM typesArchived 30 September 2020 at theWayback Machine.
