Munich
In the autumn of 1879, Jakob arrived in Munich, where he began learning to draw from a model. Times were hard, especially because he had a difficult relationship with money. He wrote begging letters to his parents, but his father, Smits, had no intention of continuing to support his stubborn artist son.
After a while, Jakob grew tired of the long drawing sessions at the academy. He began to doubt the life of an artist.
Vienna
In the summer of 1880, Jakob, perhaps under pressure from his father, considered securing a stable future as a decorative painter. He went to Vienna, a city known for its progressive approach to applied arts at the time. Gustav Klimt studied at the same institute.
However, it didn’t take long for the quaintness of Viennese arts and crafts education to disappoint him. Even Viennese architecture failed to captivate him. "Far too much sugar cake, no character," he remarked, according to Smits. He was eager to leave as soon as possible.
Rome
At the end of 1880, Jakob arrived in Rome. He had long been fascinated by the Italian Renaissance painters. However, there was so much to experience in Rome that he had little time for work. As he put it, he learned by simply observing his surroundings. It was in Rome that Jakob finally discovered his true calling: he had to become an artist. In the summer of 1881, he returned to Rotterdam for financial reasons.
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