Born in Hamburg, Germany in 1869. By 1904 Kruse had moved to northern California. He died in San Francisco on June 5, 1938. His works include landscapes of Marin County. Works held: California Historical Society.

Max Carl Kruse was born in 1854 in Berlin. He became a German sculptor, painter and graphic artist. In 1875-1877 he studied architecture at the Technical University in Stuttgart, and in 1877-1879 sculpture at the Academy in Berlin under the supervision of A. Wolf and F. Schaper. Then he made a scientific trip to Rome and Paris. Kruse made his debut in 1881 with the sculpture The Messenger of Victory from Marathon, for which he was awarded a gold medal. The life-size figure of the Marathon runner was commissioned in 1884 by the Berlin National Gallery and placed in the square in front of its seat. In 1886, an expressive group made of sandstone was created, Love lays the corpse of an old man into nature. The main domain of the artist's work in these and subsequent years were busts made with an emphasis on maintaining regular contours. In 1908 he was awarded the title of professor, and in 1913, a membership of the Berlin Academy of Arts. He also dealt with theatrical scenography, creating moving scenery and stage horizons. His works can be found in all major German museums.