Hermann Kern
Hermann Armin von Kern (March 14, 1838 - January 18, 1912) - famous Austro-Slovak artist, court painter at the court of Franz Joseph I in Vienna, one of the most popular Austrian genre artists of his time.
Son of renowned MD Benjamin von Kern from Liptovár (Hungary, now Slovakia), who recognized his exceptional talent and contributed to his career. Kern began his art education at the age of 16 in Levoca, taking lessons from Theo Boehm. Departing for Prague in 1854, he first studied with JB Clemens and then continued his studies at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts.
In 1867 he continued his education in Düsseldorf, and then, three years later, studied with Karl von Piloti at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, where he met Franz von Defrager, with whom they became close friends.
Working first in Budapest as a portrait and genre artist, later Hermann von Kern moved to Paris, and a few years later, in 1877, to Vienna, where he lived until his death in 1912 in Austria, in Maria Enzersdorf (the house was preserved ) together with his large family (wife Paulina and 10 children, many of whom later become professional artists, musicians and teachers of the Vienna Conservatory (piano, cello, violin).
As the court painter of Emperor Franz Joseph I, Hermann von Kern continued to focus on genre painting. Here you can often see children playing, gypsies, scenes and sketches in taverns, portraits of individuals. In 1885, he also painted the ceiling of the famous National Theater of Szeged, built in 1883.
