Franz Hegi

Franz Hegi (16 April 1774 – 14 March 1850) was a Swiss draughtsman, engraver and etcher. He was known for aquatint views of landscapes, Swiss architecture and costume depictions, as well as historical subjects connected with Zürich.

Biography Franz Hegi was born on 16 April 1774 in Lausanne. His family moved to Zürich in 1780.

In 1790, Hegi entered an apprenticeship with the etcher Matthias Pfenninger, where he learned the aquatint printmaking technique. His subjects included landscape views, Swiss architectural scenes and costume studies, many of them produced in aquatint between 1809 and the early 1820s.

Hegi illustrated the Helvetischer Almanach, Alpenrosen, the publications of the Antiquarische Gesellschaft in Zürich, and Neujahrsblätter issued by several Zürich societies. His drawings and prints are valued for their detailed visual record of landscapes and buildings, particularly in Zürich.

Collections Hegi's works are held in public collections including the Kupferstichkabinett Basel, the Swiss National Library in Bern, the Graphische Sammlung ETH Zürich, Kunsthaus Zürich and Zentralbibliothek Zürich.