Drawings
by Josef Clemens Kaufmann
( 1867 Luzern - 1926 Zürich)
Josef Klemens Kaufmann was best known for his
military scenes and drawings of animals.
Born in Lucern, Kaufmann moved to Geneva at
the early age of 16 to study art with the well-known
painter and teacher Barthélemy Menn at
the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Later he traveled
on to Paris where he studied with Benjamin Constant,
who encouraged his interest in painting animals.
Back in Lucern, he also developed an interest
in Military themes, and often accompanied troops
on their excersizes, drawing their manouevres
from life. In some cases Kaufmann was even summoned
by telegraph by Military officers to draw new
scenes on site.
After his studies, Kaufmann spent most of his
life as an artist in Luzern where he had a studio
on the Haldenstrasse. He was a founder of Lucern's
annual Christmas exhibit (Weihnachtsaustellung)
and in 1906 was a founder of the Schweizerische
Freie Kuenstlervereinigung (Secession). The
city of Lucerne made him an honorary citizen.
Two exhibits in the early part of the century
helped to promote his career p the first at
the BErn Kunstmuseum in 1916, which displayed
around 100 of his drawings. Four years later
he received exposure ont he other side of the
Atlantic at a show at the Hotel Pennsylvania
in New York in 1920.