Hermann von Kaulbach

1846 - 1909 German

Renowned for detailed child portraits

Hermann von Kaulbach was a German painter of the Munich School. Kaulbach was the son of painter Wilhelm von Kaulbach. He was originally a medical student at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich but, perhaps inspired by his father, quit school to study painting instead. In 1867, he became a student of Karl von Piloty. Under his influence, Kaulbach devoted himself almost entirely to historical themes. Ultimately though, he became best known for his portraits of children. He made two study trips to Rome, in 1880 and 1891. In 1886, he was appointed a Professor of History Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich. In 1906 he published a picture book, with children as the motif, that sold 135,000 copies. He was married to Sophie Schroll, the daughter of an engraver, and they had three children. Many of his works are on display at the Museum in Bad Arolsen (his father's birthplace). His letters and other papers are in the collection of the German Literature Archive (part of the Museum of Modern Literature) in Marbach am Neckar. He is buried in the Alter Südfriedhof in Munich. Although his work was generally well received, he was occasionally criticized for giving too much attention to detail, while missing the significance of the painting's main subject. His portrait of Lucrezia Borgia created a controversy because it was considered "too lewd", and his version of the Coronation of St.Elizabeth by Emperor Frederick II was dismissed by some critics as "costume painting".