Franz Bischoff (1864-1929) was born in Bomen, Austria and would become known as "King of the Rose Painters". Franz A. Bischoff had his early training at a craft school and then in 1882 went to Vienna to study painting and porcelain decoration. This training was the beginning of him becoming one of the most respected ceramic decorators of his time. But the artistic ability of the artist was not limited to ceramic decorations and as his career progressed he developed into a leading early 20th century Southern California plein-air landscape painter.
Franz Bischoff made his first visit to the United States in 1885 at the age of 31. He arrived in New York City in 1885 and took a job as a painter in a ceramic factory. Following that, the artist worked as a ceramic decorator in a variety of places including Pittsburgh; Fostoria, Ohio; and Dearborn, Michigan. In New York and Detroit, he founded the Franz Bischoff School of Ceramic Art and developed the formula for many of his own colored glazes.
In the year 1900, Franz A. Bischoff first visited California and shortly after settled in Los Angeles. In 1908, he built his home with gallery, ceramic workshop and painting studio along the Arroyo Seco in South Pasadena. In 1912 Franz Bischoff spent extended time in Europe and was influenced by both the impressionist and old master painters.
Living in California, Bischoff devoted much of his time to landscape painting and painted in Monterey, Laguna Beach, the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the desert near Palm Springs. In 1928, he went to Utah and painted in Zion National Park with his friend, John Christopher Smith. By this time, his style was regarded as post-impressionist with expressive use of color and highlighting. Later in his career, Franz Bischoff's paintings also exhibited Impressionist influences and even expressionism.
Franz Bischoff was a member of the California Art Club and the Laguna Beach Art Association. His ceramics were exhibited at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago and at the 1904 Exposition in St. Louis. Franz Bischoff died in Pasadena, California on February 5, 1929.
