A Life Shaped by Berlin and Paris Born in Berlin in 1787, Karl Wilhelm Wach began his path in the halls of the Prussian Academy of Arts. He learned his early craft under the guidance of Karl Kretschmar, a period of study that laid the foundation for a long career. Even as a young man of twenty, he was already handling significant responsibilities, such as when he was asked to paint an altar piece for the Paretz village church. This work, Christ with Four Apostles, appeared in 1807. His life took him far beyond the borders of Prussia. After a period of service in the Prussian army between 18…