THE ART OF LIVING

Hans Erni, one of Switzerland’s best known artists, is one hundred years old this year and continues to paint.

Erni is famous for his geometric lines which dominate his canvases. “I learnt that triangulation (measuring) of the world could only be achieved by using geometry. This allows me to give my work a universal character.” His geometric lines form part of the cubist style first invented by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. Cubism subverted the traditional depiction and perception of objects, taking them apart and analysing them in terms of their shapes.

Looking at Erni’s Stillleben mit Guitarre und Klarinette which is to be offered in the Swiss Art sale it is almost impossible to distinguish this still life from say Braque’s Violin and Palette, 1909, or Picasso’s Violin and Grapes, 1912. The objects such as the guitar and the chair are still recognisable but they are disjointed, incomplete and without perspective or proportion.

A truly versatile artist, Erni was not only influenced by Picasso and Braque but also by Alexander Calder, Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian and Henry Moore, all of whom he worked with in Paris between 1932-4. Many of Erni’s early works produced during this period, such as Stillleben mit Guitarre und Klarinette are signed François Grèques, a nod to his artistic training in Paris as well as his passion for Ancient Greek art.

The Hans Erni Retrospective is now on view at the Museum of Art Lucerne through 4 October 2009. For more information, visit Museum of Art Lucerne.