Josefine Swoboda facts for kids

Josefine Swoboda was an Austrian artist. She was famous for painting portraits of people. She was born in Vienna, Austria, on January 29, 1861. She passed away in Vienna on October 27, 1924. Josefine was known as one of Vienna's busiest portrait painters.

Early Life and Training

Josefine Swoboda grew up in a family of artists in Vienna. Her father, Eduard Swoboda, was also a portrait painter. Her brother, Rudolf Swoboda the younger, was a painter too. Even her uncles, Rudolf Swoboda the Elder and Leopold Carl Müller, were artists.

Josefine first learned to paint from her father. Later, from 1878 to 1886, she studied at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. This art school was connected to the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna. She learned from teachers like Ferdinand Laufberger and Julius Victor Berger.

In 1880, a writer named Constantin von Wurzbach praised her work. He wrote that her "excellent work" sold quickly. He also said that the "only 19-year-old artist" showed great promise for the future.

Artistic Style and Exhibitions

Josefine Swoboda mainly painted with watercolors. Most of her artworks were portraits of people. She also painted some everyday scenes and still life pictures.

Starting in 1886, her art was regularly shown at the Vienna Künstlerhaus. This is a famous art society in Vienna. She also showed her paintings in other cities. These included Hamburg in 1887, and Munich and Berlin in 1888. Her art was even displayed at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, USA.

Royal Connections and Famous Works

In 1890, Josefine Swoboda received a special title. She became the court painter for Queen Victoria of England. This likely happened because her brother and another painter, Heinrich von Angeli, worked for the British royal family.

From 1890 to 1899, Josefine often visited England. She usually stayed during the summer months. There, she painted many watercolor portraits of the royal family. She also painted other important people at the court. Many of her paintings are still kept in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle today.

Josefine Swoboda also received many painting requests from the Austrian royal family. This included Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. She also painted for other noble families. These important jobs made her one of the most active portrait painters in Vienna.

From 1902, Josefine's work was shown in special exhibitions. These were called "Eight female artists and their guests." Some of her paintings can be seen in the Vienna Museum. Others are in the Albertina graphic collection in Vienna. She became a member of the "Künstlerhaus" (Austrian Artists' Society) in 1886.

Images for kids

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  Queen Victoria
  by Josefine Swoboda
  (watercolor, 1893)

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  Queen Alexandra when Princess of Wales
  by Josefine Swoboda
  (watercolor, 1895)