Albert Anker

Albert Anker (1 April 1831 – 16 July 1910) was a Swiss painter and illustrator who has been called the "national painter" of Switzerland because of his enduringly popular depictions of 19th-century Swiss rural life.

Life

Born in Ins as the son of veterinarian Samuel Anker (then a member of the constituent assembly of the Canton of Bern) and Marianne Elisabeth (born Gatschet). In 1836, his father became veterinarian in Neuchâtel, and the Anker family moved there. He installed a studio in the attic of his parents' house and participated regularly in exhibitions in Switzerland and in Paris.

Anker developed a consistent artistic style that he maintained throughout his career. His works reflect themes of everyday Swiss life and have been associated with a sense of calm and an affinity for Swiss democracy, with attention to colouring and lighting noted as characteristic features of his technique.

Personal life His brother Rudolf and his mother both died in 1847, when Anker was in Neuchâtel. His younger sister Louise died in 1852.

Gallery