Famous Swiss Artists

Swiss artist and illustrator Albert Anker became the “national painter” of Switzerland for his endearing depictions of life in a Swiss village in the 19th century. He took drawing lessons with painter Louis Wallinger and later attended the Gymnasium Kirchenfeld in Bern. At the University of Halle in Germany, the artist was inspired by art collections and decided to pursue a career in art. In Paris, he attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. His artworks include a series of pieces with Biblical and historical themes.

Swiss artist Arnold Bocklin studied at the Dusseldorf School of Painting under German landscape artist Johann Wilhelm Schirmer. Recognizing his talent. Schirmer sent Böcklin to Belgium to copy the artworks of Flemish and Dutch masters. In Paris, he worked at the Louvre painting landscapes. After time in the army, he went to Rome and was influenced by allegorical and mythological figures. Among his most notable paintings is A Roman Wine Tavern.

Swiss artist, draftsman, and art writer Henry Fuseli spent most of his life in Britain. He became the leading artist of the Romantic movement and created such impressionable artworks as his painting Nightmare, depicting the darker side of the human mind. The artist drew inspiration from literary sources such as Shakespeare, Milton, and Dante.

Swiss artist and sculptor Alberto Giacometti lived and worked in Paris, France, beginning in 1922. His main art form was sculpting, and he became one of the most notable sculptors of the 20th century. He was influenced by the surrealism and cubism art styles.

Swiss artist H. R. Giger attended the School of Applied Arts in Zurich to study architecture and industrial design. He developed a technique known as “biomechanical” involving airbrushing images of humans intertwined with machines. The artist was known for working on a special effects team for the 1979 film “Alien.” The team won an Academy Award for their work. Later Giger changed styles and worked with ink, pastels, and markers. The artist’s contributions to the world of art include artwork on several posters, music albums, books of paintings, and art published in Omni magazine. Giger acquired the Saint-Germain Castle in Gruyères, Switzerland, which is today home to the H. R. Giger Museum.

Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler was one of the most popular Swiss painters during the 19th century. He created portraits and landscapes in a realistic style. The artist created a personal form of symbolism known as “parallelism.” After the death of his mother from TB, Hodler was sent to Thun to work as an apprentice for a local painter. There he learned to pain Alpine landscapes. At the age of 18 he walked to Geneva to take up his painting career. Among his best-known works of art is Self-Portrait, The Angry One.

Swiss artist Johannes Itten was a Swiss expressionist painter, designer, teacher, and writer. He is best known for his seven color theories: contrasts of hue, value, temperature, elements, contrasts by complements, simultaneous contrast, contrast by saturation, and contrast by extension. He attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Geneva. His color studies influenced the world of Op Art.

Swiss Neoclassical artist Angelica Kauffman was born in Switzerland, but her family later moved to Austria and then to Italy. In Florence, Italy, Kauffman was influenced by the Neoclassical art style. She became a popular portraitist for British travelers in Rome. Persuaded to go to London, the artist painted portraits of British society and nobility. Later she spent time in Ireland creating portraits of several Irish notables.

Swiss-German artist Paul Klee was known as “the father of abstract art.” His artistic style was influenced by the expressionism, cubism, and surrealism art movements. The artist was originally part of the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter. Klee enjoyed experimenting with a variety of media, including watercolor, oil, and ink.He was a teacher at the German art school Staatliches Bauhaus. When he died in 1940, the artist had created 9,000 artworks.

Swiss artist Felix Vallotton moved to Paris to take up his artistic career. He studied at the Académie Julian and studied the works of art at the Louvre. Among his most notable paintings is the Ingresque Portrait of Monsieur Ursenbach. The artist was also a writer, and after he died in 1925, his novel “La Vie Meurtrière” (The Murderous Life) was published posthumously.