Hermann Armin von Kern (14 March 1838 – 18 January 1912) was an academic painter, one of the most popular Austrian

genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...

painters of his time and a court painter at the court of

Franz Josef I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death in 1916. In the early part of his reig ...

in Vienna.

Biography

He was born of a noble von Kern family in Liptóújvár, now

Liptovský Hrádok Liptovský Hrádok (; ; ) is a town in northern Slovakia, in the region of Liptov. History First mentioned in 1341, Liptovský Hrádok was named after the nearby castle. The castle, also known as Liptovský Hrádok, was built originally for use ...

, Slovakia, son of a famous doctor of medicine, Benjamin von Kern (1800–1868), who recognized his exceptional talent at an early age and paid for his education. Kern began his artistic training at the age of 16 in Levoča under Theo Böhm. He went to Prague in 1854, where he studied under J.B. Klemens, and then attended the

Academy of Fine Arts Vienna The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna () is a public art school in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1688 as a private academy, it is now a public university. The academy is also known for twice rejecting admission to a young Adolf Hitler in 1907 and 1908. ...

, where he was instructed by C. Rahl. In 1867 he studied in Düsseldorf, and in 1870 he studied under

Karl von Piloty Karl Theodor von Piloty (1 October 1826 – 21 July 1886) was a German painter, noted for his historical subjects, and recognised as the foremost representative of the realistic school in Germany. Life and work Piloty was born in Munich. His fath ...

at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, where he befriended

Franz von Defregger Franz Defregger (after 1883 Franz von Defregger) (30 April 1835 – 2 January 1921) was an Austrian artist known for producing genre art and history paintings set in his native county of Tyrol. Biography Franz Defregger was born on 30 April 183 ...

. He worked initially in Budapest as a portrait and genre painter. Later, he moved to Paris, and in 1877 he moved to Vienna, and lived there with his large family (his wife Paulina and 10 children) as a court painter for emperor Franz Joseph I until his death in 1912 in

Maria Enzersdorf Maria Enzersdorf (Central Bavarian: ''Maria Enzasduaf'') is a small city in the district of Mödling (district), Mödling in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. There are several castles and ruins in the forests surrounding Maria Enzersdorf, in ...

, Austria. Kern specialised in portraits and genre scenes. The latter often depicted children at play, music making gypsies, tavern scenes, and single persons. In 1885 he painted the ceiling decoration of the Szeged Theatre. Being a very good pianist he often made music with his friend, the composer

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

. Three of his 10 children, and many of his descendants became professional musicians and professional painters.

Works (selection)

* ''Die Politiker von Laab'', 1881 * ''Deckengemälde'', Theater Szegedin, 1885 * ''Hochwürden zu Gast'', 1896 File:Hermann Armin Kern Selfportrait.jpg, Hermann Armin Kern Selfportrait

Other projects

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kern, Hermann 19th-century Austrian painters 19th-century Austrian male artists Austrian male painters 20th-century Austrian painters 1912 deaths 1838 births 20th-century Austrian male artists