Cuno Amiet

Key facts

Lived

1868–1961, Swiss^[1]

Movement

• Pont-Aven School

^[1]

Works held in

5 museums

Wikipedia

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• What is Cuno Amiet known for?+

  Cuno Amiet is known for being one of the most original colourists working in Europe at the turn of the century. He was also invited to join Die Brücke, the Dresden-based Expressionist group, becoming one of the few non-German artists admitted.
• What is Cuno Amiet's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to identify Cuno Amiet's single "most famous work" definitively. His career spanned numerous styles, from symbolism to expressionism, and he produced a large body of work. Without specific evidence pointing to one particular painting, we can look at recurring themes and periods that gained attention. Amiet was a member of the artist group Die Brücke, and his association with German Expressionism is a significant aspect of his career. Amiet's paintings often feature bold colours and simplified forms. He explored themes of nature, figures, and portraits. Further research into exhibition catalogues and critical reviews from the period might reveal which works were most celebrated during his lifetime and in subsequent surveys of his art.
• What should I know about Cuno Amiet's prints?+

  Cuno Amiet (1868^[1]-1961^[1]) was a Swiss^[1] artist who began his training in 1884^[1]. He studied at the Munich Academy, and later at the Académie Julian in Paris from 1888 to 1891. While in France, Amiet encountered the Pont-Aven group, an association that had a considerable effect on his art. In 1893-4, after returning to Switzerland, Amiet created "Departure of the Fishermen", a polychrome wood relief. The work shares a theme with other Pont-Aven artists like Denis, Sérusier, and Seguin: Breton peasants overlooking boats at sea. Amiet employs flat areas of colour, framed ends, stylised head-dresses, and a parallel rhythm of sails, giving the panel a decorative quality. Patches of blue and green paint suggest light and movement in the sea. Amiet's painting "Reclining Breton Girl with Orange" (1893) is one of the surviving works from his Pont-Aven period; many others were lost in a fire at the Munich Glaspalast in 1931. While in Brittany in 1892-3, Amiet lived at the Pension Gloanec, where he met artists such as Bernard, Seguin, O’Conor, and Sérusier. The subject matter and colouring reflect the influence of the Pont-Aven circle. Amiet abandoned natural colour in favour of warm harmonies of orange and yellow.
• What style or movement did Cuno Amiet belong to?+

  Cuno Amiet (born in Solothurn, Switzerland, in 1868^[1]) is associated with Post-Impressionism and Expressionism. He began his artistic training in 1884^[1], studying with a local painter before attending the Munich Academy. Amiet's time in Paris from 1888 to 1891, at the Academie Julian, exposed him to new artistic ideas. A visit to Pont-Aven in Brittany proved particularly influential. There, he encountered artists like Bernard, Seguin, O'Conor, and Serusier. Amiet observed an unfamiliar style of art, noting the "bright, clear objectivity" in the works of artists such as Laval, Moret, Gauguin, and Serusier. The "rich colouring" of the Pont-Aven circle impacted his work. One example is Reclining Breton Girl with Orange (1893). Amiet later joined the Die Brücke group in 1906, linking him to the Expressionist movement. In 1910, he started work on the Fountain of Youth fresco for the Zurich Kunsthaus. The Kunstmuseum in Berne commemorated his sixtieth birthday with an exhibition in 1928.
• What techniques or materials did Cuno Amiet use?+

  Cuno Amiet's artistic practice encompassed a variety of media. He is known for his oil paintings, which often display bold colour and simplified forms. Amiet also produced numerous works on paper. These include drawings in pencil, charcoal, and chalk, as well as prints. He explored printmaking techniques such as lithography and woodcut. The woodcuts, in particular, allowed for strong contrasts and graphic compositions. Watercolour was another medium Amiet employed. His watercolours often possess a luminous quality, achieved through layering washes of colour. These pieces demonstrate his skill in capturing light and atmosphere. Beyond painting and printmaking, Amiet experimented with glass painting. This exploration of diverse materials and methods is a characteristic aspect of his career.
• What was Cuno Amiet known for?+

  Cuno Amiet (1868^[1]-1961^[1]) was a Swiss^[1] painter, printmaker, and sculptor. Born in Solothurn, he began his training in 1884^[1] with a local artist before attending the Munich Academy. Amiet then studied at the Académie Julian in Paris from 1888 to 1891. Amiet is known for his association with the Pont-Aven School^[1] in Brittany. While there, he encountered the work of Paul Gauguin and other artists. This exposure influenced his style, leading him to move away from natural colour towards warmer colour harmonies. One example is Reclining Breton Girl with Orange (1893). Amiet's wood relief Departure of the Fishermen (1894) reflects the themes of Breton peasants and boats at sea, similar to works by Maurice Denis, Paul Sérusier, and Armand Seguin. The piece uses flat areas of colour and stylised head-dresses. Amiet joined the Die Brücke group in 1906. In 1897, he was commissioned with Giovanni Giacometti, Giovanni Segantini, and Ferdinand Hodler to paint a frieze for the Paris International Exhibition of 1900, though the design was never realised. In 1910, he started work on the Fountain of Youth fresco for the Zurich Kunsthaus, and he exhibited at the Sonderbund in Cologne in 1912.
• When did Cuno Amiet live and work?+

  Cuno Amiet (1868^[1]-1961^[1]) was a Swiss^[1] painter, illustrator, and graphic artist. He was born in Solothurn, Switzerland, on 28 March 1868^[1]. Amiet is regarded as a pioneer of modernism in Swiss art. He began his artistic training in 1884, studying at the Munich Academy. In 1887, he moved to Paris, where he studied at the Académie Julian. There, he met artists such as Émile Bernard and became part of the Pont-Aven School^[1]. This group, influenced by Paul Gauguin, significantly shaped Amiet's early artistic direction. He adopted a style characterised by simplified forms and non-naturalistic colour. Amiet returned to Switzerland in 1893 and settled in Oschwand near Burgdorf. He continued to develop his style, incorporating elements of symbolism and expressionism. He died in Oschwand on 6 July 1961.
• Where can I see Cuno Amiet's work?+

  To see works by Cuno Amiet, you might consider visiting the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland. The museum is located at Monument im Fruchtland 3, Postfach 3000, Bern 31. Their telephone number is +41 (0)31 359 01 01, and their website is www.paulkleezentrum.ch. You could also try the Bauhaus-Archiv, Museum für Gestaltung, Klingelhöferstr. 14, D-10785 Berlin, Germany; the Klassik Stiftung Weimar/Bauhaus-Museum, Theaterplatz, D-99423 Weimar, Germany; the Bauhaus-Museum Weimar, Am Theaterplatz, D-99423 Weimar, Germany; or the Busch-Reisinger Museum, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Other museums that may hold works by the artist include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
• Where was Cuno Amiet from?+

  Cuno Amiet was a Swiss^[1] painter and printmaker. He was born in Solothurn, Switzerland, in 1868^[1]. Solothurn is a town in the north-west of Switzerland, near the Jura mountains. Amiet spent much of his career in Switzerland. He is often associated with the Canton of Bern, where he lived for many years. From 1898^[1], he lived and worked in Oschwand, a small village in the Bernese Emmental. He remained in Oschwand until his death in 1961^[1]. Although based in Switzerland, Amiet travelled and exhibited internationally. His work brought him into contact with artists from other countries, particularly Germany. He was a friend of the German Expressionist painter, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Amiet's connections to the German art world helped to spread his reputation beyond Switzerland. However, Switzerland remained his home and the primary source of inspiration for his art.
• Who did Cuno Amiet influence?+

  Cuno Amiet was a Swiss^[1] painter who spent time in Paris in the late 1880s. There, he encountered the work of artists at Pont-Aven, including Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, and Paul Sérusier. Amiet's work absorbed their approaches to colour and subject matter. Amiet's painting *Reclining Breton Girl with Orange* (1893^[1]) reflects the warm colour harmonies of the Pont-Aven circle. The theme of Breton peasants also appears in his wood relief *Departure of the Fishermen* (1894), a subject shared by other Pont-Aven painters. Amiet's connections to other artists extended to his personal life. He gave *Reclining Breton Girl with Orange* as a wedding gift to his close friend, the painter Giovanni Giacometti. In 1897, Amiet, Giacometti, Segantini, and Hodler received a joint commission to paint a frieze for the Paris International Exhibition of 1900, though the design was never realised. Amiet joined the Die Brücke group in 1906.
• Who influenced Cuno Amiet?+

  Cuno Amiet, born in Solothurn, Switzerland, in 1868^[1], studied at the Munich Academy and later at the Académie Julian in Paris from 1888^[1] to 1891. While in France, Amiet visited Pont-Aven in Brittany. There, he encountered artists whose work was previously unknown to him. He recalled seeing paintings by Laval, Moret, Gauguin, and Sérusier, describing their art as having 'bright, clear objectivity'. Although Amiet did not adopt a system of outlines and simplified forms, the subject matter and colouring of his paintings from this period reflect the influence of the Pont-Aven circle. He moved away from natural colour, favouring warm harmonies of orange and yellow. In 1906, he joined the Die Brücke group of German expressionist artists.
• Who was Cuno Amiet?+

  Cuno Amiet (1868^[1]-1961^[1]) was a Swiss^[1] painter and graphic artist. Born in Solothurn, Switzerland, he began his artistic training in 1884^[1] with a local painter before attending the Munich Academy. From 1888 to 1891, Amiet was in Paris, studying at the Académie Julian. During this time, he visited Pont-Aven in Brittany, where he encountered a new style of art and was greatly influenced by the artists there. He met Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, Paul Sérusier, and others. Amiet's paintings from this period, such as *Reclining Breton Girl with Orange* (1893), reflect the influence of the Pont-Aven circle in their subject matter and use of colour. In 1897, Amiet, along with Giovanni Giacometti, Giovanni Segantini, and Ferdinand Hodler, received a commission to paint a frieze for the Paris International Exhibition of 1900; however, the design was never realised. Amiet joined the Die Brücke group in 1906. In 1910, he began work on the *Fountain of Youth* fresco for the Zurich Kunsthaus. An exhibition at the Kunstmuseum, Berne, commemorated his sixtieth birthday in 1928. In 1931, a fire at the Munich Glaspalast destroyed 50 of his paintings.