Walter Mafli was born in 1915. Although Mafli did not have an easy start in life, he lived to be 102 years old. Born in the Rhine valley, he spent his childhood in the orphanage, as neither his deaf and mute mother nor his grandmother could look after him. He never got to know his father. In order to become independent as early as possible, Mafli started an apprenticeship as a stove builder, which he ultimately completed as a tiler.

Due to severe scarlet fever, the young man lost his job in Zurich, whereupon he moved to Neuchâtel. Only in French-speaking Switzerland did he paint every free minute. Mafli subsequently received drawing lessons and an introduction to academic techniques from Delfo Egidio Galli. In his new h...