Hans Erni

Overview

On the one hand, the work of Lucerne artist Hans Erni, who died in 2015 at the age of 106, is rather ­impressive, not least due to its enormous variety of materials: painting in small and ­monumental format, drawing and printmaking, ­ceramics and ­relief, poster and book art. On the other hand, this wealth corresponds to his ­stylistic range: from realistic and cubist-inspired beginnings during the 1930's, to purely abstract compositions, and the virtuoso synthesis of the two forms of ­expression in the 1940's. Erni's ­impressive con­tri­butions to surrealism, with their combination of ­informal background and masterly figurative ­re­presentation, lay the ground for his works of the subsequent decades. After previously being politically ­reviled, he now ­realizes numerous public works and has become internationally known as one of the most important represen­tatives of Swiss art in the 20th century. His ever-keen interest in social, political, and en­vironmental matters, and his commitment to peace, social justice, and nature conser­vation are all reflected in his visual and graphic work, as well as his ­curiosity about ­foreign cultures. This publication on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Hans Erni Museum provides an overview of the ­diversified collection of the Hans Erni Foundation.

Reviews

Hans Erni is known for having illustrated postage stamps, his lithographs for the Swiss Red Cross, his participation on the Olympic Committee as well as his activism. His 1939 works and first major public success was a mural titled »Switzerland: Vacation Land of the People« was commissioned and displayed for the national exhibition in Zürich. The Hans Erni Museum, situated in the grounds of the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne, contains a large collection of artwork, he also designed ceramics and theatre costumes and sets. He did the art for Swiss bank notes, in the 1940's but, after the notes were already printed they were never published, because a member of the State Council of Lucerne criticized that Erni was deemed as a communist. However, Erni was never a member of any political party. In 2004, he was awarded the honorary citizenship of the city of Lucerne. On 10 January 2009 he received the Swiss Award for lifetime accomplishment.

Author Biography

Peter Fischer was director of ZPK center Paul Klee in Berne and has published two books: Surrealismus Schweiz and About Trees. Heinz Stahlhut is an art historian, and since 2019, the new director of Hans Erni Museum Berne. From 2013 on he was conservator of the art museum Lucerne, after starting his career at Museum Tinguely and Fondation Beyeler in Basel.