The Berlin Years Max Johann Bernhard Koner began his time in the studio in Berlin. Between 1873 and 1878, he sat in the classrooms of the Prussian Academy of Arts, learning under the eyes of Eduard Daege, Anton von Werner, Eduard Holbein, and Max Michael. His early hands were more accustomed to the quiet textures of landscapes. He traveled to Italy in 1875 and later moved to Paris in 1878 to continue his studies. These years away from Berlin shaped how he saw light and form before he eventually turned his focus toward the human figure. By 1886, his personal life and professional life became c…