Willy Zügel, born in Munich on June 22, 1876, was the son of Heinrich von Zügel, a renowned painter of animals. Initially studying painting at the Munich Academy under his father, he later transitioned to sculpture from 1903 onward. He relocated to Paris in 1906 and joined the Munich Secession in 1910, dividing his time between Munich and Murrhardt. Zügel gained fame for his animal sculptures, exhibited in prestigious galleries such as the Nationalgalerie in Berlin and the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus in Munich. He became a professor in Munich in 1926 and produced models for various porcelain manufacturers, amongst them Nymphenburg. Zügel also created notable public monuments, including a World War I memorial in Murrhardt. His contributions are extensively documented in numerous publications, including Thieme Becker and Vollmer biographical dictionaries.