François Zdenek Eberl

François Zdenek Eberl (May 25, 1887 – October 8, 1962) was an Austro-Hungarian Empire-born painter who worked mainly in Paris, France. At his prime, his name was included among his fellow painters and personal friends Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and Maurice de Vlaminck.

Early life and education Frantisek Zdenek Maurice Augustin Eberl was born on May 25, 1887, in Prague into an upper-middle-class family. His parents were both Catholics with Swedish and French ancestry.

Eberl's artistic talent became obvious early on: in 1903, he was admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague where he and fellow painter Emil Filla studied under Vlaho Buhovac. His artistic temperament, however, was incompatible with the academy's conservative tradition, so Eberl left Prague to travel in Europe.

In October 1904, Eberl arrived in Munich and enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. He received excellent reviews by his teachers, including artist Franz von Stuck. Soon, Eberl became a teacher at the academy himself; however, negative response to his publication of a few political drawings criticizing Bavarian nobility caused Eberl to leave Germany. In 1911, Eberl settled down in the artists’ quarter of Montmartre and began showing his works in the famous Paris salons of the time.

Career and private life World War I During World War I, Eberl used his talent at caricature drawing and supplied artworks for posters, flyers, and sketches to a Czech organization fighting the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1914, he joined the Czech Legion and fought alongside the Allies. After a year and a half on the battlefield, Eberl suffered a serious injury and was honorably discharged. He joined the Red Cross in La Somme. Despite the war raging in Europe, Eberl's works were seen in numerous exhibits to a growing audience of art lovers.

During the war, Eberl married Frida Dohring, a Danish woman. They returned to Montmartre where Eberl gained the friendship and patronage of writers Francis Carco, Pierre Mac Orlan, and Roland Dorgelès. He counted among his friends fellow painters Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani and Maurice de Vlaminck. Eberl's works were regularly on display at the galleries Bernheim-Jeune and Devambez.

The exuberance of the period was on full display in Eberl's private life. He drove racecars for Bugatti, owned a menagerie that included both a lion and crocodile, and with his wife enjoyed the bohemian artist's life that characterizes Paris of that time. In 1928, Francois Eberl was awarded the Legion of Honor by the French government. From 1930 until the end of his life, Eberl spent summers in the Monaco, which he considered his second home.

Works in public collections

Eberl's works are in the New National Museum of Monaco, the Musée des Beaux Arts, the Fonds municipal d´art contemporain der Stadt Paris, and the Musées d'art moderne de Saint-Etienne. The Musée du Montparnasse has displayed several works by Eberl in the past, the last time in 2002.