Alexander Rothaug began to serve an apprenticeship as a sculptor in 1884, which he gave up only a year later to study painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. After his studies Rothaug moved to Munich for several years, working for the satirical magazine Fliegende Blätter (Flying Leafs).

In 1897 he returned to Vienna as a freelance painter. Among other things he also worked as a stage designer and frequently went on educational trips, especially in Southern Europe. He began to regularly exhibit his works and created several monumental ceiling and wall paintings based on his experiences as a stage painter. Today his works are mostly found in private collections....