KOBELL, Franz, German painter and etcher: b. Mannheim, 23 Nov. 1749; d. Munich, 14 Jan. 1822. The Elector Karl Theodor of Bavaria sent him to Italy (1776) to study art and he remained there till 1785, working from nature and monumental buildings. He next lived at Munich, where he became painter to the court. He produced only a few oil paintings but left 20,000 landscape and architecture pen drawings and etchings.