Carl G. von Iwonski
Encyclopedia
Carl G. von Iwonski was a painter born in Germany who became a naturalized American citizen. He was artistically active in San Antonio and New Braunfels
, and best known for his portraits of Texas pioneers.
settlers, disembarking at Galveston
on December 18, 1845, from the Johann Detthard .
The family initially settled at Castell and Mill streets in New Braunfels
. Leopold von Iwonski sold his 320-acre land grant and moved the family across the Guadalupe River
from New Braunfels, to a settlement which came to be known as Neighborsville. The Iwonski home was on the Austin-San Antonio road and doubled as a stage stop. Young Carl helped out on the family farm, and became a naturalized American citizen in 1854. His first known artistic effort was an 1853 sketch of the family's log cabin.
. In addition to his portraits, he began painting landscapes.
During Reconstruction, Carl von Iwonski became San Antonio city tax collector, and his father Leopold became Bexar County
treasurer. Both father and son become radical leaders in the local Republican party, and Carl began to draw political cartoons. Leopold von Iwonski died in office on October 15, 1872.
Iwonski took a sabbatical in 1871 to study at the Berlin Academy of Art.
New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
, and best known for his portraits of Texas pioneers.
Early life
Carl G. von Iwonski was born April 23, 1830 at Hilbersdorf, Saxony, to former Prussian Army officer Leopold von Iwonski and his wife Marie (Kalinowska-Tshirski) von Iwonski. At age 15, he emigrated with his family to Texas with the AdelsvereinAdelsverein
Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas, better known as Adelsverein , organized on April 20, 1842, was a colonial attempt to establish a new Germany within the borders of Texas.-History:...
settlers, disembarking at Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
on December 18, 1845, from the Johann Detthard .
The family initially settled at Castell and Mill streets in New Braunfels
New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
. Leopold von Iwonski sold his 320-acre land grant and moved the family across the Guadalupe River
Guadalupe River (Texas)
The Guadalupe River runs from Kerr County, Texas to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a popular destination for rafters and canoers. Larger cities along the river include New Braunfels, Kerrville, Seguin, Gonzales, Cuero, and Victoria...
from New Braunfels, to a settlement which came to be known as Neighborsville. The Iwonski home was on the Austin-San Antonio road and doubled as a stage stop. Young Carl helped out on the family farm, and became a naturalized American citizen in 1854. His first known artistic effort was an 1853 sketch of the family's log cabin.
New Braunfels
Iwonski's first known sketch books date to 1855, coinciding with his opening a studio in New Braunfels. His perferred media were pencil, ink, watercolor. He also made oil portraits of German settlers, and later became skilled as a sculptor. When Duke Paul Wilhelm of Württemberg visited New Braunfels on an 1855 visit, Iwonski made him a gift of six pencil sketches of his Texas creations. From 1855–1857, he made a series of sketches of the New Braunfels Amateur Theater.San Antonio
Iwonski moved to San Antonio in 1857 and in 1859 became aassociated with artist William DeRyee. Iwonski began making sketches of troops stationed in the south Texas area during the Civil War. His most famous was The Terry's Rangers. He also became a teacher at the Bickler German-English Academy. From 1866-1870, Iwonski ran a San Antonio photography studio with fellow artist Hermann LungkwitzHermann Lungkwitz
Hermann Lungkwitz was a 19th Century German-born Texas romantic landscape artist and photographer whose work became the first pictoral record of the Texas Hill Country.-Early life:...
. In addition to his portraits, he began painting landscapes.
During Reconstruction, Carl von Iwonski became San Antonio city tax collector, and his father Leopold became Bexar County
Bexar County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,392,931 people, 488,942 households, and 345,681 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,117 people per square mile . There were 521,359 housing units at an average density of 418 per square mile...
treasurer. Both father and son become radical leaders in the local Republican party, and Carl began to draw political cartoons. Leopold von Iwonski died in office on October 15, 1872.
Iwonski took a sabbatical in 1871 to study at the Berlin Academy of Art.
Personal life and death
Carl G. von Iwonski never married. In 1873, he accompanied his widowed mother back to Germany and remained there the rest of his life. He died in Breslau on April 4, 1912.Selected works
- Log Cabin, New Braunfels (Iwonski family home) (1853)
- Sketches of the New Braunfels Amateur Theater (1855–1857)
- New Braunfels Germania Gesangverein (1857)
- Alexander von HumboldtAlexander von HumboldtFriedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt...
(1859) - The Terry Rangers (1862)
- German general staff during the Franco-Prussian War (1871)
Portraits
- Sam HoustonSam HoustonSamuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
- Delaware chief John Conner
- Manuel Yturri Sr
- José Fermín Cassiano
- John BaylorJohn BaylorJohn Robert Baylor was a politician in Texas and a military officer of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
- Johanna and Edward Steves
- Dorothea and Carl Hilmar Guenther
- Julius Schuetze
- Samuel MaverickSamuel MaverickSamuel Augustus Maverick was a Texas lawyer, politician, land baron and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence...
- Edmund Jackson Davis