▁his ▁studies ▁for ▁long , ▁so ▁he ▁chose ▁to ▁support ▁himself ▁by ▁s elling ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁master s ▁he ▁made ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁museum s , ▁but ▁eventually ▁concluded ▁that ▁portrait ▁painting ▁would ▁be ▁most ▁prof itable . ▁So on ▁after , ▁he ▁acquired ▁an ▁important ▁patron ; ▁Count ▁J ános ▁Wald stein - W arten berg ▁( 1 8 0 9 - 1 8 7 6 ), ▁a ▁well - known ▁art ▁collect or . ▁ ▁He ▁spent ▁some ▁time ▁at ▁the ▁Count ' s ▁estate ▁in ▁V ár pal ota , ▁doing ▁port ra its , ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁first ▁animal ▁paint ings ▁and ▁fres co es ▁for ▁the ▁library ▁at ▁Z ich y ▁Castle . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 7 , ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁en roll ▁at ▁the ▁Academy ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁Vienna , ▁thanks ▁to ▁a ▁state ▁grant ▁that ▁the ▁Count ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁obtain ▁for ▁him ▁from ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Gy ula ▁And rá ss y . ▁His ▁primary ▁instruct or ▁there ▁was ▁Edu ard ▁von ▁Eng er th . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁he ▁received ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁his ▁grant ▁and ▁went ▁to ▁study ▁at ▁the ▁Academy ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts , ▁Mun ich , ▁where ▁his ▁teachers ▁were ▁Wilhelm ▁von ▁Die z ▁and ▁Karl ▁von ▁Pil oty . ▁It ▁was ▁there ▁that ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁dev ote ▁himself ▁to ▁animal ▁painting . ▁He ▁had ▁his ▁first ▁showing ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁World ▁Ex position ▁in ▁Vienna .