Not much is known about Hans Ruzicka-Lautenschläger. He was born in the village of Aussig an der Elbe (now: Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic) in the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Later in life he moved to Vienna. This city was a rich source of inspiration for him, as witnessed by his many representations of it: street scenes and strolling 'Wiener' in the Prater. Ruzicka-Lutenschläger loved to travel and was struck by the local colour of the places he visited. There are oriental and Italian scenes, representations of Tyrolean villages, but also of cities and landscapes in northern Germany. He painted his subjects impressionistically and with powerful colours, with a noticeable preference for strong (artificial) light effects.