Anton Ažbe and his twin brother Alois were born to a peasant family in Dolenčice, a small village in Slovenia. Their father died of tuberculosis when the boys were seven years old. Their mother had a very bad mental illness. She could not look after the farm or take care of the boys. A guardian took care of them. Anton had very poor health. He did not grow like a healthy child. He remained very short all his life. He also had problems with his spine and his legs. His guardian sent him to Klagenfurt as an apprentice to a merchant. After five years Ažbe ran away. He went to Ljubljana. In Ljubljana he met the painter Janez Wolf. He helped Wolf paint frescos in churches.