Gust Graas facts for kids
Gust (Gustave) Graas (born December 19, 1924 – died February 19, 2020) was a Luxembourgish artist who painted abstract art. He was also a very important businessman. He helped build the big radio and television company called RTL.
Early Life and Studies
Gust Graas was born in Esch-sur-Alzette, a town in the south of Luxembourg. When he was a teenager, during World War II, Luxembourg was occupied by Germany. He was made to join the German army, but he managed to leave. After the war ended, he went to university. He studied law in Louvain, Belgium, and in Paris, France.
A Career in Business
In 1952, after working as a lawyer in Luxembourg City, Gust Graas joined a company called CLT RTL. He started as the secretary general. By 1975, he became the director-general and joined the company's main board. He helped the company grow across Europe. In 1983, he even helped create RTL Television, which was Germany's first private TV station.
Graas also helped start Luxair, which is Luxembourg's airline. He was in charge of Luxair for more than 20 years.
His Artistic Work
Gust Graas loved art and spent time painting and making sculptures. While he was studying in Paris, he met several Impressionist painters. He stayed friends with them. In 1970, he won a special art award called the Prix Grand-Duc Adolphe.
After he retired in 1989, he moved to a place called Pollença on the Spanish island of Majorca. He kept painting there. He had an art show called Mis años en España (1989-2003). This show displayed how the bright sun and colors of the island influenced his artwork. Graas once said about his art: "My paintings fully express my feelings about life and about life after death."
