Swiss artist Franz Gertsch at the exhibition 'Gertsch - Gauguin - Munch' at the Museo d'Arte della Svizzera italiana MASI in Lugano in 2019.
Keystone/ti-press/alessandro Crinari
Franz Gertsch, one of Switzerland’s most influential artists and master of the hyper-realistic style, has died at the age of 92.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
Português
pt
Morre Franz Gertsch, o artista do “hiper-realismo”
Gertsch was born in 1930 in the village of Mörigen on Lake Biel in northwest Switzerland and later studied at the Max von Mühlenen painting school in Bern.
During the late 1960s, Gertsch began painting his large format hyper-realistic portraits, which resemble high-resolution photographs, depicting people in everyday, unspectacular scenes.
Among his works of this period were large format pictures of US rock singer Patti Smith.
The painter and graphic artist celebrated his international breakthrough when his work was shown at the art exhibition ‘documenta 5’ in Kassel, Germany, in 1972.
Between 1986 to 1995 Gerstch took a break from painting in favor of large-format woodcuts covered with sheets of paper to produce portrait images.
His works are held in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Kunstmuseum Lucerne in Switzerland, and the Museum Franz Gertsch, which was built in the town of Burgdorf, Switzerland, in honor of his career.
In 2017, Gertsch’s Luciano II painting sold for CHF3.4 million ($3.7 million) in London – a record sum for the artist.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Wealth is not all: how gentrification in Zurich has led to housing shortage
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland increasingly a target for people smuggling and trafficking
This content was published on
Switzerland is increasingly being targeted by organized crime. This also applies to commercial people smuggling, the fastest growing criminal market in Europe.
Swiss forests better equipped against storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years ago, Hurricane Lothar toppled trees like dominoes in Switzerland. Forests today are better prepared to cope with such an exceptional event, say experts.
This content was published on
The Locarno Film Festival is considering moving from the beginning of August to the second half of July for its 80th edition in 2027.
Council of Europe head Alain Berset visits Georgia
This content was published on
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is visiting Georgia, which has been rocked by a political crisis, from Wednesday.
Swiss politician who shot at Jesus faces criminal proceedings
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has opened criminal proceedings against politician Sanija Ameti. It is investigating whether she disrupted freedom of religion and worship.
Switzerland must be able to control immigration, says head of business federation
This content was published on
Switzerland must be able to control immigration itself if it "exceeds the tolerable limits", says Christoph Mäder, president of Economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.
This content was published on
The film Reinas by Klaudia Reynicke, a Swiss-Peruvian-Spanish co-production, has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Franz Gertsch
This content was published on
Franz Gertsch, born March 8, 1930, in a village on Lake Biel/Bienne, is numbered among the most significant contemporary artists in Switzerland. During the late 1960s, Gertsch began painting his large format hyperrealistic portraits, which resemble high-resolution photographs. He celebrated his international breakthrough when his work was shown at the art exhibition; documenta 5 in…
This content was published on
Swiss artist Franz Gertsch's Luciano II painting has sold for CHF3.4 million ($3.4 million) in London – a record sum for the artist.
This content was published on
Coinciding with the completion of the “Four Seasons Cycle”, the retrospective of works by Franz Gertsch shows how he gained international renown for his hyper-realist paintings and unique woodcuts. Gertsch, born in 1930, is one of Switzerland’s leading contemporary artists.
Franco-Swiss movie director Jean-Luc Godard dies aged 91
This content was published on
Enigmatic Swiss film director Jean-Luc Godard, creator of such movies as À Bout de Souffle (Breathless) and Adieu au Langage (Goodbye to Language), has passed away.
This content was published on
On the centenary of Bauhaus, the influential German design school, a major exhibition in Zurich is devoted to Swiss all-rounder Max Bill.
This content was published on
Renowned painter, illustrator and sculptor Markus Raetz, has died at the age of 78. The principal topic of his work was the nature of perception.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.