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Alfred Kubin was born on 10th April 1877 in Leitmeritz, a town in North Bohemia.
After his service as officer his father Friedrich Franz Kubin was working as surveyor. His mother was the pianist Johanna Jenny. In 1882 his parents moved to Zell am See in Austria.
Already when he was a child Kubin hated compulsion. He wanted to lead a free life. He loved fairy tales. At the age of five he started drawing imaginative pictures. His drawings were full of magicians, horrible animals, etc.
His mother died when he was ten. Her death finished his childhood. He was sent to Grammer School to Salzbourg.
There he failed the second form and came back to Zell am See to finish school there. At the age of 14 his father sent him to a school to learn about construction engineering. He failed again and so his father's brother in law who was a photographer in Klagenfurt gave him a job as probationer. In Klagenfurt he spent whole nights out. The sleepless nights affected his health, he felt very weak.
He didn't like his life and he wanted to commit suicide. He went to Zell am See and wanted to shoot himself at his mother's grave, but at her grave he collapsed. Then he wanted to join the army voluntarily. After a short time in the army he was sent to hospital, because of a nervous breakdown and he was released of the army.
When he was twenty he returned to his father's house and recovered from his illness. Then his father wanted him to attend the drawing-class of proffessor Gysis at the academy, but he didn't like the strict, academic painting that was taught there.
He wanted to express his grotesque ideas. In Munich he got to know Klinger's etchings, which were a form of art that corresponded with his ideas. He started a series of spooky ink drawings. He got to know Goya, de Croux, Munch, Ensor, Redon.