La Giudecca, Venice

Karl Kaufmann, an Austrian landscape and architectural painter, was born in 1843 in Neplachowitz, Österreichisch-Schlesien, and passed away on April 27, 1905, in Vienna. A student of the Vienna Academy, Kaufmann's artistic journey was significantly influenced by his extensive travels across Europe. His explorations took him to the European North, notably Norway, as well as to Holland, Germany, and frequently to Italy, where cities like Naples, Rome, and Venice captivated his artistic imagination. Venice, in particular, became a recurring motif in his vast collection of landscape paintings. From 1900 onwards, Kaufmann made Vienna his permanent residence. Notably, he often signed his works under various pseudonyms, including R. Benda, Byon, and Charles Marchand, among others. Today, the majority of his paintings are held in private collections. Kaufmann was the elder brother of Adolf Kaufmann (1848–1916), a renowned landscape and marine painter. His contributions to the art world are documented in Heinrich Fuchs' comprehensive works on 19th-century Austrian painters, cementing his legacy within the artistic community of his time.