First at the Viennese Academy in 1882, followed by some years at the Pattern Drawing School, he studied in Munich and finally at the master school of Gyula Benczúr. He went to Nagybánya in 1902, but worked in Felsőbánya, an area more distant from the colony. He also painted in Szolnok, and made his way all over the Hungarian Plain, finally to settle by Szentes. István Nagy visited him on his farm, and he also maintained a friendship with Tornyai and Rudnay. He was a member of KUT and the Színyei Society. There is a museum in Szentes which bears his name.
Bibliography: Bényi, László: Koszta József, (Magyar Mesterek), Budapest, Képzőművészeti Alap, 1959. o Aradi, Nóra: Koszta 1861-1949, (A Művészet Kiskönyvtára, 67), Budapest, Corvina, 1965. o Bényi, László: Koszta József 1861-1949, Szentes, é. n. [1976]. o Egri, Mária: Koszta József, (Magyar Mesterek), Budapest, Corvina, 1989.