KO'BELL. A German family of painters, en gravers, and etchers, all descended from .1oliann Heinrich Kobel], of Frankfort, who settled at Mannheim in 1720. His grandson FERDINAND (1740-99) was a landscape painter and etcher, born at Mannheim, where, after having studied at the University of Heidelberg, he became the pupil of Peter Verschatielt. In 1768-69 be con tinued his studies in Paris, after his return was appointed Court painter, and later professor at the Academy, and in 1793 removed to Munich. Of his effective oil paintings in the style of 13crehem, there are specimens in the galleries of Karlsruhe, Darmstadt, Stuttgart, and Augs burg; but he is more important as an etcher, his 242 plates marking a distinct advance in the treatment of landscape etching in Germany. Consult his biography by Baron Stengel (Nu remberg, 1822).—IIis brother FanNz (1749 1822), landscape and architectural painter and draughtsman, was born in Mannheim, where he studied at the Academy before spending nine years in Italy (1776-S5), chiefly at Rome. On his return he settled in 1\ilunich, and was made Court painter. His oil paintings, on which Goethe bestowed high praise, are rare, number ing scarcely a dozen, one of the finest being a "Rocky Landscape with Waterfalls," in the Bam berg Gallery. Endowed as lie was with an exu berant fancy and extraordinary facility of pro duction, the process of painting proved too slow to keep pace with his ideas, and lie confined him self afterwards entirely to the use of pen and pencil. Ile is said to have produced more than 10,000 drawings.—IIENDIZIK ( 1751-99), a marine and landscape painter, born at Rotterdam, cousin of Ferdinand and Franz, was sent to England by his father to follow a commercial career, but re turned in 1770, determined to become an artist, and studied for two years in Amsterdam under Jacob de Vos and Cornelis Pions van Amstel with such success that he was elected a member of the Academy. lie settled afterwards at Rotter dam, and is especially esteemed for his marine subjects in oil, and his numerous beautiful draw ings executed with the pen. heightened with In dia ink, and his water-colors.—JAN ( 1756 1833), engraver, born at Rotterdam, brother of Hendrik, engraved anatomical plates, and in 1787 a series of historical portraits.—JAN, the
elder (1778-1814), an eminent animal and land scape painter and etcher, born at Delfshaven, son of Hendrik. pupil of Willem Ilutgaart van der \Vali at Utrecht. Ile studied diligently from nature, and took Paul Potter for his model. In 1812 he went to Paris, where he won the gold medal and high praise from art critics. His popularity increased rapidly until his prema ture death, at Amsterdam. Of his cattle pieces, remarkable for their sterling technique and pre cision of drawing, there are excellent specimens in the museums of Amsterdam and Rotterda-m. —JAN, the younger (1800-38), landscape and cattle painter, born at Rotterdam, son of Jan, the engraver, pupil of Rotterdam Academy, paint ed his principal work, a life-size cattle piece, in I830.—His sister A NNA ( 1795-1847) was also an esteemed artist.—WILIIELM VON KOBELL ( 1766 )855), landscape and battle painter and etcher, born at Mannheim, son and pupil of Ferdinand ; studied afterwards the works of the old Dutch masters in the Dfisseldorf Gallery. and was espe cially attracted by Wouverman. In 1778 he went to Rome, was made Court painter at Mann heim after his return, and afterwards followed his father to Munich, where he became professor at the Academy in 1808. He painted at first land scape, rural genre scenes, and animal pieces. of which the galleries of Bamberg. Weimar, •imi heiin, Karlsruhe, Berlin. Darmstadt. Frankfort. and Wiesbaden eontain One specimens. In 1809 be visted Vienna. and in 1810 Paris, to make :studies tor his battle pieces, which contain many portraits of famous contemporaries. The New Pinakothek in Munich contains "The Third Day of the Battle of Hanriu" (1803), and the Ban quet Hall of the Nbnigsbau the "Surrender of Brieg," "Cavalry Skirmish at Arnhofen," and the "Battle, of liekmillil and Wagram." He became most widely known through his etchings and aquatint engravings after NVonverman. Berehem, Roos. Buysdael, and others, in which he repro duced the peculiar style of each master with uncommon success.