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The Life and Academic Career of Julius Hess

Born in Stuttgart, Germany, Julius Hess was a painter who dedicated much of his life to the study and instruction of art. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1900 to 1903 and later became a co-founder of the Municher Neuen Secession in 1914. His commitment to the academic community was profound, serving as a professor of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1927 to 1946. During this time, he led a masterclass where several female painters, including Karoline Wittmann, Luise Niedermaier, Gabriele Thiersch, Irma Hünerfauth, and Marianne Henselmann, studied under his guidance. These students continued to meet at the Pixisvilla in Pöcking, where Hess lived and painted, to discuss their new works until his death.

Hess was a member of the German Artists' Association and was elected as an ordinary member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts in 1950. He spent his final years in Pöcking near Lake Starnberg, where he passed away at his easel in 1957. He is buried in Stuttgart.

Artistic Works and Subjects

The oeuvre of Julius Hess encompasses a variety of subjects, ranging from landscapes to intimate still lifes and portraits. His paintings often captured scenes of leisure and nature, such as:

His works are held in various collections, including the Bavarian State Painting Collections in Munich, the Lenbachhaus in Munich, the State Gallery Stuttgart, the City Gallery of Stuttgart, and the State Art Gallery Karlsruhe.