Hans Thoma, painter, printmaker, and teacher, was born in Bernau im Schwarzwald, the Black Forest in Germany, on October 2, 1839. He first studied to be a lithographer in Basel in 1854 but then turned to painting clock faces. In 1859, he began his studies at the academy in Karlsruhe where he was a student of Johann Wilhelm Schirmer and Ludwig Des Coudres. After the completion of his studies in 1866, he moved to Basel, then to Düsseldorf and then to Paris. Thoma returned to Germany in 1870 and briefly settled in Munich. His travels also took him to Italy and Great Britain.

In 1890, Thoma’s solo exhibition in Munich was well-received bringing him recognition and acclaim. He was ranked as one of Germany’s leading artists for two decades. Thoma moved his family to the Kronberg artists’ colony outside of Frankfurt. Around this time, he was appointed a professor at the academy in Karlsruhe and director of the Kunsthalle in Frankfurt. Thoma turned eighty in 1919 and his birthday celebration was organized ty Ernst Oppler and Lovis Cornith.

Hans Thoma died on November 7, 1924, in Karlsruhe, Germany

Many thanks to Hoakley for shining such light on this artist.