Hermann Hubacher

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Ganymede in Zurich

Hermann Hubacher (born August 1, 1885 in Biel , † November 18, 1976 in Zurich ) was a Swiss sculptor and sculptor .

life and work

The son of an engraver and grandson of the engraver, photographer, landscape draftsman and drawing teacher Jakob Häuselmann also initially completed an engraving, medal and goldsmith training at the technical center in Biel , later he decided to sculpt.

In 1912 he married Anna Tscherter from Biel. Her mother was the painter Louise Tscherter-Kuhn . One of her ancestors is the folk song writer Gottlieb Jakob Kuhn . In 1917 Hubacher moved with the family to Zurich, as it was the only Swiss city that offered a functioning art trade and sufficient exhibition opportunities during and after the war . One of the meeting points was the former Café Schneebeli on Limmatquai . Visual artists, writers and musicians, collectors and dealers met here; French, German and Italian emigrants came together with Swiss.

In addition to numerous stays in Paris and trips to various places in Europe, he took three longer trips together with the Winterthur collector and patron Georg Reinhart , to Italy in 1922 , to England in 1927 and to Egypt in 1929 . In what way these experiences shaped him as an artist, as evidenced by his traditional diary and countless letters to family and friends.

Hubacher's preferred motif was the human figure. How popular his portraits were among contemporaries is shown by the around 100 listed busts. He was just as successful as a sculptor with numerous figures in public spaces. According to the catalog of works, his oeuvre includes almost 400 sculptures, along with graphics, drawings and watercolors.

Hubacher kept sharing his travel experiences and his artistic work in a journalistic way, be it as a contributor (especially) to the NZZ or in book form.

Hermann Hubacher was a member of the Gleyre Foundation and the Gottfried Keller Foundation , from 1926 to 1929 of the Federal Art Commission and temporarily its President, from 1951 to 1969 a member of the Oskar Reinhart Foundation in Winterthur, and long-time President of the Pro Arte Foundation .

He found his final resting place in the Enzenbühl cemetery . His estate, which also contains numerous documents from his ancestors, has been in the Zurich Central Library since 2019 .

Hubacher's son is the architect Hans Hubacher .

Works (selection)

  • Bust Ludwig van Beethoven, 1905, (Terracotta?), Location unknown.
  • Bust of an Italian woman, 1916, artificial stone, private collection.
  • Relief to commemorate the 150th birthday of Gottlieb Jakob Kuhn , 1925, bronze , Sigriswil .
  • Bronze sculpture Two seated female figures from 1929 on the tomb of Eugen Huber in the Bremgarten cemetery
  • Sitting by the Zürichhorn
    Bust of Heinrich Wölfflin , 1945, bronze, Universities of Zurich and Basel. Preparatory studies painted in clay and plaster.
  • Figure group Ganymed , 1946–1952, bronze, Bürkliterrasse , Zurich.
  • Bust of Pan's Dream Face , 1947, bronze, terracotta , plaster painted, Kunstmuseum Bern and private collections.
  • Figure Resting Girl , 1944/1949, Giallo perlato (marble), Museum Oskar Reinhart Am Stadtgarten, Winterthur.
  • Figure bather II , 1951, bronze. Werner Bär Collection, Zurich.
  • Figure combing a girl , 1955, bronze, Rittermatten-Anlage, Biel.

For more images see the web link below: Swiss Institute for Art Research (Sikart).

Exhibitions (selection)

Awards and honors

  • 1938 XXI. Biennale di Venezia: Premio internazionale di sculptura.
  • 1944 Zurich: City of Art Prize.
  • 1945 honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich .
  • 1955 Biel: City Art Prize.
  • 1960 Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Firenze : Premio del Fiorino.
  • 1965 honorary member of the GSMBA .

Literature (selection)

  • Paul Fierens: Hermann Hubacher . Paris 1932.
  • Emil Schaeffer : Hermann Hubacher . Basel 1935.
  • Hermann Hubacher: From my workshop . Zurich 1944.
  • Hermann Hubacher: Rodin (monograph). Zurich 1949.
  • Gotthard Jedlicka : Ganymede . Weinfelden no year
  • Emil Staiger : The sculptor Hermann Hubacher . Zurich 1965.
  • Hans Hubacher : The sculptor Hermann Hubacher. Work directory . Zurich 2004.
  • Hermann Hesse : The sound of the drums. Correspondence with Hermann Hubacher . Zurich 2011.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Swiss Institute for Art Research: Jakob Häuselmann. Retrieved April 16, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Swiss Photo Foundation: Jakob Häuselmann. Retrieved April 16, 2020 .
  3. ^ Swiss Institute for Art Studies: Louise Tscherter-Kuhn. Retrieved April 16, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Hermann Hubacher: Why I live in Zurich. In: Zürcher Illustrierte, Volume 9, 1933, No. 14, Page 437, accessed on October 29, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Hermann Hubacher: From my workshop . Zurich 1944, page 12.
  6. ^ Ulrich Christoffel: Hermann Hubacher. In: Das Werk, Volume 43, 1956, Issue 8, Pages 262–268, accessed on October 29, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Hans Hubacher: The sculptor Hermann Hubacher. Work directory . Zurich 2004.
  8. ↑ Swiss Confederation: Federal Office of Culture: Culture Fund. Retrieved April 15, 2020 .
  9. ↑ Zurich Central Library: ZBcollections: Hermann Hubacher's estate. Retrieved April 15, 2020 .
  10. ^ MW: On H. Hubacher's Beethoven bust . In: Switzerland, Volume 11, 1907, page 112. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  11. ^ MW: On the Swiss cycle 1916 . In: Switzerland, Volume 20, 1916, page 603. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  12. ^ Adolf Schaer: History on the way (local history from Sigriswil) . In: Die Berner Woche, Volume 17, 1927, Issue 5, page 66. Retrieved on April 15, 2020.
  13. ↑ Wikipedia: Maison Devambez. Retrieved April 15, 2020 .
  14. ^ Musée de l'Athénée: Museum website. Retrieved April 15, 2020 .
  15. ^ Johannes Widmer: Hermann Hubacher's sculptures in the Athäneum. In: Das Werk, Volume 16, 1929, Issue 6, Page 161, accessed on April 16, 2020 .
  16. ↑ Wikipedia: Georges Petit. Retrieved April 15, 2020 .
  17. ^ Zurich: Presidential Department: List of Prize Winners. Retrieved April 15, 2020 .

Web links

Commons : Hermann Hubacher  - collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Hubacher, Hermann
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss sculptor and sculptor
DATE OF BIRTH August 1, 1885
PLACE OF BIRTH Biel
DATE OF DEATH November 18, 1976
Place of death Zurich