Albert Sorkau was known primarily as a painter of genre scenes and sympathetic interior scenes depicting the daily lives of servants. Sorkau was born on Born October 24, 1874 in Toul (Meurthe-et-Moselle), France. A student of highly regarded artist Leon Bonnat, Sorkau studied at the French academy at Boulogne-Sur-Seine. He exhibited primarily in Paris, and in 1897, after achieving some acclaim, he began exhibiting at the Salon des Artistes in France. In 1912, he would receive an honorable mention from the Salon, and in 1942 he would receive the top medal from the Salon as well as a cash prize for his work. Sorkau also exhibited in other French cities including Dieppe, Nancy, and Dijon, winning medals at Chaumont, and in Langres in Reims.