Camilla Göbl

Camilla (Kamilla) Göbl (January 27, 1871 – October 26, 1965) was an Austrian painter, graphic artist, and art educator.

Born in Vienna, she received her initial artistic training at a school affiliated with the Vienna Women’s Employment Association. Her teachers included Rudolf Geyling, who led the association’s atelier for decorative painting techniques. In 1891, she showcased fruit still lifes on canvas and porcelain at a school exhibition. From 1893 to 1898, she studied under Olga Wisinger-Florian and briefly with Alexander Demetrius Goltz.

Göbl made her debut at the Vienna Künstlerhaus in 1895 with the painting Novemberstrauß, and she continued to exhibit there frequently. In 1903, her works were displayed at the Salon Pisko, including 24 floral pieces and landscapes in oil and pastel. She was also a guest artist with the group Acht Künstlerinnen at Pisko. In 1911, she presented flower paintings and landscape pastels in a collective exhibition with Leo von Littrow at the Galerie Arnot. Internationally, she participated in exhibitions in cities such as Munich, Berlin, and Turin.

At the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts, Göbl passed the state examination for teaching drawing and painting. From 1900, she ran a student studio, with her most notable pupil being Archduchess Marie Theresia, whom she taught for two months at Saybusch Castle in 1902. During this time, Göbl created several works, including a Polish landscape exhibited in Czernowitz in 1904.

Later, she taught at the Mariahilfer Girls’ Lyceum in the 4th district of Vienna. In 1914, she was awarded the title of Professor, and in 1936, she received the title of Regierungsrat as a Real Teacher at the girls’ secondary school in the 6th district, a position she held until she retired from teaching.

Göbl joined the Association of Women Writers and Artists in Vienna in 1909. From 1926 to 1937, she served as vice president and later as president from 1948 to 1965. She was also a member of the Vienna Women’s Art Association.

Throughout her life, except for occasional travels to places like Dalmatia and Galicia, Göbl lived in her hometown of Vienna. Her studio was located at Neustiftgasse 31 and later moved several times, eventually settling at Lerchenfelder Straße 50 for many years. She passed away in Vienna in 1965 at the age of 94 and was buried at the Simmering crematorium cemetery.

Work
Camilla Göbl primarily painted floral still lifes and landscapes, as well as interiors in oil and pastel. She also created painted glass vessels with floral motifs. Her style was influenced by Dutch and Flemish flower painters. Some of her floral works exhibit linear forms and vibrant colors, while others feature a loose brushstroke style on mostly dark backgrounds. Her few landscape paintings are characterized by clear, detailed forms and warm brown tones.

Juliane Ludwig-Braun described her work Amaryllis, shown in 1952, as “precise in brushstroke, with colors that reveal passion but bend back into the darkness of melancholy.”

Selected Works:

Novemberstrauß, oil, 1895, exhibited at the Vienna Künstlerhaus
Frühlingsblüten, 1897, exhibited at the Vienna Künstlerhaus
Pilzlinge, 1902, Munich Glass Palace
Atelierfenster (Hyacinths and View of Snow-Covered Roofs), Calla Blossoms (in Vase), and others, 1903, exhibited at Salon Pisko
Schierlingswiese, 1904, Munich Glass Palace
Violets, oil, 1904, exhibited at the Albrecht-Dürer-Verein and acquired by the Ministry of Arts and Education
Christmas Bouquet, oil, 1906, exhibited at the Austrian Art Association
Copper and Onions, 1906, exhibited with the Acht Künstlerinnen
Levkojen, pastel, 1909, exhibited with the Acht Künstlerinnen
Interior from Saybusch Castle, 1910, exhibited at the Vienna Women’s Club
Blackthorn Blossom in Sievering, Pomegranates, In the Fields, 1911, exhibited at the Galerie Arnot
Rising Moon and Lagoon, pastel, 1911, exhibited at the Galerie Arnot
Bluebells, 1930, exhibited by the Association of Visual Artists of Austria
Poplar Roses and Colorful Flowers, 1937, exhibited at the Association of Women Writers and Artists in Vienna
Amaryllis, 1952, exhibited at the Association of Women Writers and Artists in Vienna