Emil Reich (artificial glazier)

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Emil Reich (born December 27, 1922 in Bern ; † March 20, 1982 ibid ) was a Swiss art glass and glass painter . His extensive work is preserved in numerous churches and public buildings in the canton of Bern .

Life

Emil Reich comes from a family of glass artists. After his apprenticeship and attending the Bern School of Applied Arts, he learned the principles of composition as well as figurative and abstract design in Max von Mühlenen's painting school . At the Ecole d'Art Sacré in Paris he found access to stained glass from the earlier great eras. Particularly through the restoration work on the war-damaged windows of Bayeux Cathedral , he gained insight into the development of the old masters' techniques. His brother Carl Reich founded a studio for glass painting and art glass in 1934. In 1943, the expanded company acquired a property on Gerechtigkeitsgasse on Rathausplatz with a studio and shop. Emil Reich joined this company in 1949 as a third partner as an art glass and glass painter. Until 1965 he only worked as an employee in the studio and then had his own studio in the same building at Rathausplatz 3 in Bern until the day of his death.

Appreciation

Emil Reich's success was based on his ability to adapt his work thematically with coloring and image design to the respective rooms and needs. Like the unknown glass artists of the Middle Ages , he succeeded in integrating stained glass windows into the given architecture. The Eucharistic symbolism of the two choir windows in the church of St. Franziskus Zollikofen from 1973 with stylized grapes and a risen Christ walking through a field of wheat give the church its special expression. With the large three glass wall surfaces in the Church of St. Michael in Wabern near Bern , visitors should lead from the dark blue earthly depths in the north and west to the heavenly yellow light in the choir room. The staircase picture in the Wohlen parish hall is supposed to represent the landscape with the sea arch, sun and moon as well as the W from the local coat of arms. Occasionally, Reich was able to implement designs by other artists in glass windows, for example in 1975 the design by the then eighty-two-year-old Fred Stauffer for the six round windows of the village church in Landiswil . With the choice of color and glass, he combined the idea of ​​the design with his own statement.

Works (selection)

  • 1948–1953 Obergadenfenster of the Marienkirche , Bern (cooperation)
  • 1959 Rich fish catch , baptistery of St. Franziskus Church, Zollikofen
  • 1965 Spiez abdication hall
  • 1965 Utzigen retirement home
  • 1967 Wohlen BE community center
  • 1969 Chapel of Deaconesses, Oranienburg, Bern
  • 1973 Aisle window of the Trinity Church , Bern
  • 1973 Choir and entrance window, St. Franziskus Church, Zollikofen
  • 1974 Heiligkreuz parish hall , Bern / tapestry
  • 1975 Catholic Church, Roggwil BE
  • 1978 Three windows in the Church of St. Michael in Wabern near Bern
  • 1980 Rose window of the Trinity Church, Bern
  • 1981 Végétal , Musée du Vitrail, Romont FR
  • 1982 Parish hall of the Brother Klaus church , Bern / tapestry

literature

  • Pierre Fasel, Emil Reich: Memento pour un verrier, Exposition 1983 Romont . Musée du Vitrail, Romont 1983.
  • Reinhard Müller: The two Emmental villages of Landiswil and Obergoldbach, their structure, their history and their church: added: Michael Stettler: Importance of glass painting in art and the colored windows by Fred Stauffer and Emil Reich . Eichenberger, Biglen 1979, pp. 38 . Anniversary publication 1984 of the parish
  • Parish of St. Michael, Wabern: The Catholic Church of St. Michael in Wabern and the stained glass windows by Emil Reich . St. Michael parish, Wabern BE 1984.

Web links

Commons : Emil Reich (Kunstglaser)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Hermann Plattner : Appreciation in Memento pour un verrier
  2. ↑ Anette Racine-Lutz: Research, community information Wohlen
personal data
SURNAME Rich, Emil
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss art glass and glass painter
DATE OF BIRTH December 27, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Bern
DATE OF DEATH March 20, 1982
Place of death Bern