Biography and information
Rudolf Koller (ger. Rudolf Koller, rod. 21 may 1828 zürich — mind. 5 Jan 1905, Zurich) was a Swiss artist.
R. Koller was born in the family of an innkeeper and butcher. In 1840-1843, he studied at the Cantonal industrial school of Zurich. The first drawing lessons received from his uncle, the landscape painter. In 1843 Koller quitting school in the Industrial school and the pupil goes to the teacher of drawing J. Schweitzer, portraitist I. R. Obrist and landscape painter I. Y. Ulrich. The young man dreams of becoming an artist to draw animals — primarily horses.
In 1845, the young artist receives an order from the king of württemberg in a series of paintings depicting horses from the Royal stables, and hunting dogs; in this regard, R. Koller leaves in Stuttgart. In 1846-1847, he enrolled in the düsseldorf Academy of Art, where he met and is friends with Arnold .. .. and by Anselm Feuerbach. In 1847-48 Koller makes a trip to Belgium (with A.....) and in France at the Louvre he studied Dutch painting of the XVII century No. familiar with the work of contemporary animal painters (Rosa Bonnieux, constant:); becoming a fan of the Barbizon school. In 1848, R. Koller, due to financial difficulties, returned to Zurich.
In 1849-1851 years the artist painted mainly landscapes in the Canton of Berne and Bavaria; from April 1851 he was again in Zurich, where, among the friends of the Collier by such masters as Ernst Stuckelberg and Robert Zund. This period of his life R. Koller opened his own art Studio, where it performs numerous orders for paintings with images of animals. In 1852-1853 paints landscapes on the lake Walensee.
In may 1856 R. Koller, marries Bertha, Salter. In 1855 he writes a wonderful portrait of his bride (stored in the Art Museum of Zurich. In 1862 he was buying a house on lake Zurich. Here he lives until his death and contains many of the farm animals. In 1868-1869 Koller goes to the studies in Italy. In 1898, the 70th anniversary of Koller, in Zurich, there is a large exhibition of art works of the master. In the same year he was awarded the title of honorary doctor of arts of the University of Zurich. In 1900 Koller last time going to Italy and Florence is found with A......
Buried R. Koller in Zurich, near the grave of his friend, the writer Gottfried Keller.
