▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁whose ▁attention ▁had ▁been ▁drawn ▁to ▁the ▁young ▁artists ' s ▁amb ition ▁and ▁capabilities . ▁On ▁his ▁second ▁trip , ▁he ▁studied ▁under ▁Ludwig ▁L öff tz ▁and ▁Franz ▁Def reg ger . ▁ ▁His ▁friend ships ▁with ▁William ▁Mer ritt ▁Ch ase ▁and ▁Frank ▁Du ven e ck ▁date ▁from ▁this ▁time . ▁ ▁K oe h ler ' s ▁work ▁while ▁in ▁Mun ich ▁won ▁him ▁silver ▁and ▁bronze ▁awards ▁from ▁the ▁Academy , ▁and ▁Bav aria ' s ▁Cross ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁St . ▁Michael . ▁ ▁K oe h ler ▁then ▁set ▁himself ▁up ▁as ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁private ▁art ▁school ; ▁pup ils ▁included ▁Alf ons ▁Much a . ▁ ▁He ▁began ▁to ▁exhib it ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Academy , ▁New ▁York , ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁he ▁took ▁charge ▁of ▁a ▁private ▁school ▁of ▁art ▁in ▁that ▁city . ▁He ▁organized ▁the ▁American ▁department ▁of ▁the ▁international ▁art ▁exhibition ▁at ▁Mun ich ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 3 , ▁and ▁was ▁appointed ▁by ▁the ▁Bav arian ▁authorities ▁to ▁act ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁capacity ▁in ▁the ▁exhibition ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁Robert ▁K oe h ler ▁returned ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁portrait ▁artist . ▁The ▁following ▁year ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Min ne apolis , ▁Minnesota , ▁accepting ▁an ▁offer ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Min ne apolis ▁School