William Scharff

William Scharff studied at Zahrtmanns malerskole. Training under Holger Grønvold, Kristian Zahrtmann and Johan Rohde is recorded. Vilhelm Bjerke-Petersen, Lars Åkirke and Kasper Heiberg are recorded as having studied under William Scharff. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are portrait and cubism. Places of work recorded in the authority are Copenhagen. Work by William Scharff is recorded in the collections of Nationalmuseum, Nivaagaard Museum and Statens Museum for Kunst. Distinctions recorded are Eckersberg Medal, Thorvaldsen Medal, Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog and Decoration of the Cross of Honour of the Dannebrog.

After training as a painter at Copenhagen's Technical School, Scharff attended Kristian Zahrtmann's art school (1907–1909) where he met young talents including Vilhelm Lundstrøm, Jais Nielsen and Olaf Rude. As a student, he travelled to Berlin, Dresden and Paris.

During the First World War, Scharff was involved in Grønningen, a new artists' cooperative with an interest in Cubism. His Cubist tendencies can clearly be seen in his Legende I (1911, Randers Kunstmuseum) and in a series of pictures depicting poultry (1917–1918) and representing harmony between man and nature. His style was inspired by Cubism and the Abstract art movement while many of his subjects were based on his upbringing with his grandparents in the farming community of Tisvilde in the north of Zealand. In addition to his paintings, he decorated the students' residence Studentergaarden with Frescofrescoes (1943–1953), designed tapestries for Christiansborg (1951–1958) and created the curtain for Tivoli's concert hall (1956).

William Scharff is recorded as having received Eckersberg Medal, Thorvaldsen Medal and Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog.