Melbourne-born Scharf emigrated in 1914, becoming an illustrator in Munich, and later, a war artist for Germany in World War II. In the early 1920s, he produced his best remembered work, Night in a city, a portfolio of twenty etchings. The series is a satirical account of the night-life of a typical European or American city, from early evening to dawn. In his depictions of characters flitting through shadowy streets, theatres, night clubs and restaurants, Scharf reveals - with a biting, sardonic wit - the dark underside of society.

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Theo Scharf Restaurant III 1923
(from Night in a city portfolio)
Gift of the Thea Proctor Memorial Fund 2000