Cuno Amiet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cuno Amiet
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Selbstbildnis in Rosa / Self-portrait in Rose (1907)
Oil on canvas, 60 × 55 cm |
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| Born |
Cuno Amiet
28 March 1868 Solothurn, Switzerland
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| Died | 6 July 1961 (aged 93) Oschwand, Seeberg, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
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| Nationality | Swiss |
| Education | Academy of Fine Arts Munich |
| Known for | Painting, graphic arts, illustration, sculpture |
| Movement | Expressionism |
Cuno Amiet (born March 28, 1868 – died July 6, 1961) was a talented Swiss artist. He was a painter, illustrator, graphic artist, and sculptor. Cuno Amiet was very important in Swiss art because he was the first Swiss painter to focus on using bright colors in his artworks. This made him a pioneer, or a leader, in modern art in Switzerland.
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Biography of Cuno Amiet
Cuno Amiet was born in Solothurn, Switzerland. His father, Josef Ignaz Amiet, was an important government official. Cuno went to school in Solothurn and finished his studies in 1883.
Early Art Training
Cuno Amiet started his art journey by studying with a painter named Frank Buchser.
- From 1886 to 1888, he went to the Academy of Fine Arts Munich in Germany. There, he became good friends with another artist, Giovanni Giacometti.
- From 1888 to 1892, Amiet and Giacometti continued their art studies in Paris, France. Amiet learned at a famous art school called the Académie Julian.
Finding His Own Style
Amiet wasn't happy with the traditional "academic art" style taught in schools. He wanted to try something new.
- In 1892, he joined a group of artists called the Pont-Aven School in France.
- Here, he learned from artists like Émile Bernard and Paul Sérusier.
- In Pont-Aven, Amiet discovered his love for using pure, bright colors instead of just different shades of one color.
Returning to Switzerland
In 1893, Cuno Amiet ran out of money and had to return to Switzerland. He set up his art studio in a place called Hellsau.
- His first art show in 1894 was not very popular.
- For a few years, he didn't have much success selling his art.
- Things changed in 1898 when he was asked to paint a portrait of a famous artist named Ferdinand Hodler. Hodler's work later had a big impact on Amiet.
- In the early 1900s, Amiet's career really took off. He showed his art in many exhibitions across Europe.
- He even won a silver medal at the big World's Fair in Paris in 1900 for his painting Richesse du soir.
Life in Oschwand
After marrying Anna Luder in 1898, Amiet moved to Oschwand, a village in Switzerland.
- He first stayed in a guesthouse, then moved into his own house in 1908.
- His home became a popular spot for other artists and writers to visit.
- He also taught many students there, sharing his artistic knowledge.
Later Years and Legacy
In the late 1920s and 1930s, Cuno Amiet painted many large wall murals.
- Sadly, in 1931, a fire at the Münchner Glaspalast (a glass palace in Munich) destroyed 50 of his most important paintings.
- Amiet was an important figure in the Swiss art world. He served on art commissions and museum boards.
- In 1919, he received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Berne for his contributions to art.
- Cuno Amiet passed away in 1961 in Oschwand, at the age of 93.
Cuno Amiet's Artworks
Cuno Amiet created a huge number of artworks during his long career. He made more than 4,000 paintings! Over 1,000 of these were self-portraits, meaning he painted himself many times.
Focus on Color
Amiet loved to experiment with different styles, but one thing stayed the same: his focus on color. He believed color was the most important part of a painting.
- He painted many landscape paintings, showing winter scenes, beautiful gardens, and fruit harvests.
- Even though he admired Ferdinand Hodler, Amiet's art was very different. Amiet focused more on color and feeling, while Hodler was known for grand, monumental forms.
Style and Evolution
Amiet's art often showed elements of expressionism, an art movement where artists express strong emotions. However, his paintings always kept a sense of color harmony, influenced by French art traditions.
- In the early 1900s, his work was often decorative, meaning it was made to be beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
- In his later years (the 1940s and 1950s), his art became more abstract. He explored ideas of space and light using dots of color and soft, bright pastel shades.
See also
In Spanish: Cuno Amiet para niños
