The following pages are dedicated to the life and work of the austrian artist Julius “Jules” Benno Kobé who was born on the 5th of april in 1880 in Klagenfurth (Austria) and died in Vienna on the 6th of december in 1948.

Biography

5th of April 1880

Birth

Julius (Benno) Kobé (JBK) was born in Klagenfurt as the second child of the tanner Johann Kobé. The family Kobé were Huguenot descendants

1880 – 1894

Childhood

JBK spent his childhood and did his first schooling in Klagenfurt 1880 – 1894, where he met Mary Witzke who was 7 years younger and who was to become his wife later. After his schooling in Klagenfurt, he was in Agram (Zagreb today), Fünfkirchen (Hungary) and Graz.

1900

Vienna

After moving to Vienna and attending the Technical School 1894 –1900, he passed the entry examination to the Art Academy in Berlin which he attended after a year`s waiting. In the meantime he worked as a technical artist for the Courtpress in Vienna.

1900-1904

In 1900 Jbk travelled to Berlin via Gösnitz, Sachsenaltenburg and Magdeburg and returned to Vienna in 1903 to do his military service. In 1904 he was again employed as a technical artist.

1915-1917

During The First World War

His first works were numerous sketches drawn during the campaigns. Oil paintings such as the “Milotti Swamps”, were exhibited in the ethnological Museum for many years, and many other works were created during this time.

: Soldat mit Napf 20x26cm, Pencil

: Landsturmmann 35x25cm, pencil coloured

: julius-benno-kobé-zwei-soldaten 35x25cm pencil, coloured

: Der Glovchek

: Gehöft 40x30cm, Pencil, coloured

: Stadtansicht 25x35cm, Oil on cardboard

: Durazzo 1917 23x31cm, Aquarelle

: Markt in Sarajewo 32x23cm, Aquarell

: Karpaten-Strasse 35x40cm, Aquarell

: Durango 25x25cm, Aquarelle

: Balkan, Ruine 1917 10x15cm, Pencil coloured

: Einquartierung 10x15xm, Pencil, coloured

: Jolakin Frau mit Tracht 31x23xm, Pencil, coloured, aquarelle

1916

Marriage And Birth Of Daughter Christiane

On 12^th April, 1916 JBK married Maria Josefa Witzke, the “Mary” of his childhood, who was born 19.03.1887 in Vienna and had become a children´s nurse. On 18^th February,1917 their daughter Christiane was born.

After his return to Vienna (via Srebrenica, Mostar and Bos. Brod) in 1918, he was released from the army. In 1921, during a holiday with Mary and Christiane in Ladis, differences occurred leading to their divorce on 19^th September, 1922.

1922

The First Vernissage in Baden

In 1922 JBK had his vernisage in Baden, near Vienna, which was a big triumph. During this period be befriended the animal artist Carl Fahringer from Vienna, who was 6 years older. They travelled to Den Haag in Holland and lived in Dr. Idzerda´s boarding house. The oilpainting “ in the lounge of the guesthouse Dr. Idzerda” (at the right) was painted there. It´s whereabouts is unknown today. Thanks to good relationships to the Austrian Embassy, JBK was consigned to do many portraits.

1922 - 1924

Netherlands

JBK travelled to Holland again during 1922 –1924 in consignment für numerous portraits.

Betweentimes he undertook numerous study tours. One was to Italy via Munich and Innsbruck to Pompeji and back via Sienna – Orvieto – Domodossala- Lake Maggiore(Stresa) – Milan – Desenzano – Lake Garda(Riva) – Trento – Bolzano – Franzensfeste – Klagenfurt – Graz – Vienna. In Vienna he lived in the Hotel Regina.

1924 - 1925

JBK was back in Holland during 1924 – 1925: in Den Haag at the Boarding House Dr. Idzerda, in Volendam and Schweningen.

In 1925 he rented an atelier in Monmartre in Paris and had consignments fom the House of Commons (chamber de députés).

In 1926 he travelled from Paris to Korsika and returned to Vienna in 1927.

To perfectionise his technique he painted copies in the Museum of historical Art. These included Pieter Bereughel´s”Argument between Carnival and Lent” and works by Canaletto, Rubens (the Apostle Pauls) and many more.

: 23x31cm, Aquarell

: 30x40cm, Oil on wood

: 70x90cm, Oil on canvas

: 35x27cm, Oil on wood

: 35x20cm, Aquarelle

1928

It was probably around 1928 that he met the sisters Nellie (36) and Cornelie (35) De Virieux. Cor or Corly, as he named the younger sister, became the love of his life.

They had a twenty year long friendship till he died. One of the portraits of Cor received much attention in his exhibitions, for example in Paris from which a catalogue exerpt is copied. The painting is a 60 x 80 cm oil on canvas.

: 80x60cm, Oil on canvas

: 111x91cm, Oil on canvas

: 97x85cm, Oil on canvas

: 116x91cm, Oil on canvas

: 35x30cm, Oil on wood

1929

Paris

In 1929, JBK was at the zenith of his career and at Christmas he again rented an atelier in Paris and prepared a journey to Africa. A picture of this time in 1930 is to be seen below.

1930

Travelling Spain And Northern Africa

In 1930 he travels through Spain to northern Africa: Burgos – Salamanca – Madrid – Aranjuez – Toledo – Valencia – Alicante – Granada – Sevilla – Algeciras – Ceuta – Marokko – Algier – Sahara – Kairo..

: Zwei Marokkaner 20x30cm, Pencil

: Souk Marakesch 1930 55x80cm, Oil on canvas

: Marokkanerin 35x25cm, chalk

: Kamele Marokko 1930 35x25cm, Oil on wood

: Berberin im Hochzschmuck, Rabat 1930 40x50cm, Oil on wood

: Berber, Fez 1930 60x50cm, Oil on canvas

: Berberkind 35x25cm, Chalk

Ab 1930

Back in Austria

Back in Austria (Neukirchen am Großvenediger) in 1930, he holidayed with his daughter Christiane, the dutch sisters Cor and Nell, Prof. Louis Moser of the technical highschool in Vienna, the family of the Count von der Recke, the artist Elisabeht Weber-Fülöp and her husband, the Engineer Emil Weber and many others.

In Autumn 1930 the held lectures on his African journey in the “Urania” – an institution for popular education in Vienna. He used Elisabeth Weber-Fülöp´s atelier, for lack of his own, and painted his daughter with “ Fatme´s Hand”, a moroccan amulette.

To the right: Christiane Kobé with Fatme´s Hand. This portrait was lost during the war and is probably in Czechoslavakia.

1931

Netherlands

1931 JBK returned to Holland and lived with the de Virieux-Fürstner sisters, Cor and Nell, who had a house in Blaricum. In the neighbouring village, Laren was a well-known, international Art Gallery.

1935 - 1938

Mediterranean Tour

In 1933 JBK was back in Vienna and then did a mediteranean tour. In Dalmatia he portraited a Bishop of Dubrovnik before travelling on to Greece. Between 1936 and 1938 he spent some weeks with the monks of Athos and then travelled the islands including Mykonos and Santorin. The journey culminated in a well visited exhibition of his pictures held in Athens.

Paintings From 1935 To 1938 In Italy And Greece

: Santorin 1936 45x65cm, Oil on canvas

: Windmühlen auf Mykonos 30x40cm, Oil on wood

: Strandcafe Mykonos, Blick auf Delos 27x23cm, Oil on cardboard

: Mt Athos 1937 37x43cm, Oil on wood

: Mount Athos, Refektorium 1937 50x75xm, Oil on wood

: Mount Athos, Kloster-Agiou 1937 35x25cm, Aquarell

: Mount Athos, Daphni Hafen 1937 30x35cm, Oil on wood

: Italienische Landschaft ca 1936 40x30cm, Oil on canvas

: Griechische Straßenszene 1936 45x65cm, Oil on canvas

: Griechenland 1937 45x65cm, Oil on canvas

1939 – 1942

Blaricum

1939 –1942 JBK spent the war years in Blaricum in Holland. These were difficult times for a portraitist.

1943

Vienna

He only returned to Austria in 1943. He stayed in Neukirchen am Großvenediger, in Habachtal and finally in Graz. At the end of 1943 he moved to Pötzleinsdorf near Vienna. He lived with his sister Maria (Mizzi) Kobé who was 2 years younger. During this time he had an atelier in Vienna in the IXth zone.

6th Of Dezember in 1948

Vienna

On 6^th December, 1948 JBK passed away in hospital in Vienna, destitute and embittered. He was buried in the graveyard at Neustift on 14^th Dezember 1948.

Research

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Biography

Birth

Childhood

Vienna

During The First World War

Marriage And Birth Of Daughter Christiane

The First Vernissage in Baden

Netherlands

Paris

Travelling Spain And Northern Africa

Back in Austria

Netherlands

Mediterranean Tour

Paintings From 1935 To 1938 In Italy And Greece

Blaricum

Vienna

Vienna

Research