Gabriel von Max was a Prague-born Austrian painter. His studies included parapsychology, Darwinism, Asiatic philosophy, the ideas of Schopenhauer, and various mystical traditions. At his residence in Starnberger Lake, Gabriel Max surrounded himself with a family of monkeys, which he painted often, sometimes portraying them as human. Max, along with his colleagues, often used photographs to guide painting. The great number of monkey photographs in his archive testify to their use as direct translation into his paintings. In 1908, his painting “The Lion’s Bride” became celebrated, and was depicted in motion pictures as an hommage in the Gloria Swansonfilm, Male and Female, directed by Cecil B. de Mille.
Gabriel von Max
