Reproduction classic paintings painted in oil on canvas - Achenbach

Oswald Achenbach (German painter) 1827 - 1905

German painter Oswald Achenbach was born the fifth of ten children in Düsseldorf on February 2, 1827.

From 1835, at the age of 8, he attended the elementary class of the Academy of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf. His famous brother, Andreas Achenbach, taught Oswald.

Probably because Oswald Achenbach was dissatisfied with the academic education, he left the Düsseldorf Academy in 1841. Following this, Achenbach joined two Düsseldorf associations, the "Verein der Düsseldorfer künstler zu gegenseitiger Unterstützung und Hilfe" (Düsseldorf Artists' Association for Mutual Support and Assistance) as well as the "Malkasten" (paint box) group, of which Oswald Achenbach was a founding member in 1848.

In 1845, Oswald traveled through Switzerland and northern Italy for a time. After extensive nature studies, Oswald Achenbach found his own style. However, he did not achieve economic success until 1850 when his work was presented to the newly established gallery Eduard Schulte, which wished to promote artists who sought to develop independently of the academy. The same year, he made another trip to Italy with his friend Albert Flamm. Both make oil sketches directly in nature.

On May 3, 1851, he married Julie Arnz, daughter of a Düsseldorf bookseller and printer, with whom he had four daughters and a son. It was at this time that Oswald Achenbach achieved his first international success.

In 1852 he was made an honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam. He was rewarded at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855, where he presented a wide selection of works. He received a gold medal in 1895 at the Paris Salon. Other honorary memberships were awarded by the art academies of St. Petersburg and Rotterdam.

In 1863, Oswald Achenbach became professor of landscape painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf where he taught until 1872. On the occasion of his 70th birthday, Oswald Achenbach was made an honorary citizen of the city of Dusseldorf in 1897.

On February 1, 1905, Oswald Achenbach died as a recognized painter and major figure in the city of Düsseldorf.