SWISS PAINTERS
Switzerland is known for its mountains & lakes, for its watches, and of course for its cheeses and chocolates. When it comes to the arts, Paul Klee, Le Corbusier, & Alberto Giacometti -the famous sculptor & painter- might be mentioned, although most people think that Klee is German, Le Corbusier French, and Giacometti Italian. The lack of recognition comes from the fact that many Swiss artists wandered off to other countries where they made a name for themselves, and over time were better known in those countries, than in Switzerland. Our goal in this spotlight is to introduce you to some of the more renowned Swiss painters, keeping in mind that many of them were also acclaimed sculptors, architects, writers & teachers. We are not going to discuss nor delve into various schools or styles of paintings such as symbolisms, cubism, surrealism, expressionism, etc. We will let aficionados and art students do that but do recommend that you click on the embedded links for a more detailed look at the artists’ works.
Although today the image of the “Starving artist” is not prevalent, historically many artists sought patrons to support their art. Jean Petitot the first great painter of miniature portraits moved to England from Geneva in 1637 where he enjoyed the patronage of Charles I and then in France by Louis XIV. Other Swiss artists who made their home in England were the Bernese Samuel Hieronymus Grimm, Angelica Kauffman who hailed from Chur, and Henry Fuseli who was born in Zürich. However, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that artists from Switzerland broke through to recognition internationally. It was Albert Anker from Ins in the Seeland region of Bern, whose realistic scenes of rural communities, earned him the moniker of “National Painter of Switzerland”. He remains enormously popular in today’s art market.
Another well-known Swiss painter of the late 19th Century is Ferdinand Hodler. Born in Bern, he spent most of his life in Geneva and is considered by many a forerunner of modern painting. Many of Hodler’s most famous paintings portray people engaged in everyday activities such as “the Woodcutter” which was pictured on the back of the old SFr 50 bank note. One of the more controversial Swiss painters of this period is the Basler Arnold Böcklin who achieved fame and significant economic success in Germany. Another contemporary of Hodler is Felix Vallotton of Lausanne who in addition to his paintings is well known as an engraver & printmaker.
In closing we want to mention two of today’s most recognized Swiss painters. The most famous is Paul Klee considered the most influential Swiss artist of the 20th Century. Many of his works can be viewed in Bern at the “Zentrum Paul Klee”. If you have visited Gruyères of are a fan of science fiction movies, you’ll recognize the name of H.R Giger. He won an Oscar in 1980 for “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” for his work on the sci-fi horror film "Alien".
Check out the imbedded Videos by clicking on the highlighted links above.
Switzerland is known for its mountains & lakes, for its watches, and of course for its cheeses and chocolates. When it comes to the arts, Paul Klee, Le Corbusier, & Alberto Giacometti -the famous sculptor & painter- might be mentioned, although most people think that Klee is German, Le Corbusier French, and Giacometti Italian. The lack of recognition comes from the fact that many Swiss artists wandered off to other countries where they made a name for themselves, and over time were better known in those countries, than in Switzerland. Our goal in this spotlight is to introduce you to some of the more renowned Swiss painters, keeping in mind that many of them were also acclaimed sculptors, architects, writers & teachers. We are not going to discuss nor delve into various schools or styles of paintings such as symbolisms, cubism, surrealism, expressionism, etc. We will let aficionados and art students do that but do recommend that you click on the embedded links for a more detailed look at the artists’ works.
Although today the image of the “Starving artist” is not prevalent, historically many artists sought patrons to support their art. Jean Petitot the first great painter of miniature portraits moved to England from Geneva in 1637 where he enjoyed the patronage of Charles I and then in France by Louis XIV. Other Swiss artists who made their home in England were the Bernese Samuel Hieronymus Grimm, Angelica Kauffman who hailed from Chur, and Henry Fuseli who was born in Zürich. However, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that artists from Switzerland broke through to recognition internationally. It was Albert Anker from Ins in the Seeland region of Bern, whose realistic scenes of rural communities, earned him the moniker of “National Painter of Switzerland”. He remains enormously popular in today’s art market.
Another well-known Swiss painter of the late 19th Century is Ferdinand Hodler. Born in Bern, he spent most of his life in Geneva and is considered by many a forerunner of modern painting. Many of Hodler’s most famous paintings portray people engaged in everyday activities such as “the Woodcutter” which was pictured on the back of the old SFr 50 bank note. One of the more controversial Swiss painters of this period is the Basler Arnold Böcklin who achieved fame and significant economic success in Germany. Another contemporary of Hodler is Felix Vallotton of Lausanne who in addition to his paintings is well known as an engraver & printmaker.
In closing we want to mention two of today’s most recognized Swiss painters. The most famous is Paul Klee considered the most influential Swiss artist of the 20th Century. Many of his works can be viewed in Bern at the “Zentrum Paul Klee”. If you have visited Gruyères of are a fan of science fiction movies, you’ll recognize the name of H.R Giger. He won an Oscar in 1980 for “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” for his work on the sci-fi horror film "Alien".
Check out the imbedded Videos by clicking on the highlighted links above.
