Ferdinand von Řezníček

Ferdinand Freiherr von Řezníček (16 June 1868, Sievering (now part of Vienna) - 11 May 1909, Munich) was an Austrian painter, illustrator, and graphic artist.

Biography

He was born to General Josef Řezníček (1812–1886), who was raised to baronial rank in 1860, and his second wife, Hermine née Conrad (1839–1878), who came from an old Transylvanian family. The composer, Emil von Řezníček, was his half-brother from his father's first marriage, to Countess Clarisse Ghica (1837-1864). His primary education was at a Catholic school.

Following family tradition, he initially pursued a military career, becoming an officer in the cavalry, but gave in to his artistic inclinations after his father's death. His first employment as an artist and editor was at the satirical magazine, Kikeriki. Although he had a natural talent for that sort of work, he felt that he should obtain some formal instruction. He began with private lessons from Julius Victor Berger then, in 1888, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, where he studied with Paul Hoecker; focusing on outdoor painting.

In 1906, he was diagnosed with an intestinal problem that became colon cancer. He died following surgery, less than two weeks after Langen died unexpectedly. His widow, Anny, married Brynolf Wennerberg, also one of the magazine's major illustrators. A few years after his death, his drawings for Simplicissimus were part of an exhibit held by the bookbinder, , at his new studio in Hamburg. The mayor's brother, , a conservative politician, found them obscene and charged Hulbe with creating a public nuisance.