René Villiger
René Villiger (born February 6, 1931 in Sins ; † October 22, 2010 in Cham ) was a Swiss graphic artist and painter . On a commissioned basis, Villiger had created many illustrations for non-artistic utility texts, including the title page of a school book. He designed the Millennium Lot, which made him known throughout Switzerland with a circulation of 600,000.
Life
René Villiger was born as the third child of Theodor and Elisabeth Villiger. The siblings were two older brothers, Theo and Marcel.
Villiger in Sins graduated from the first school classes (or in the original text: “suffers”). 1946–1951 he trained as a graphic artist at the Lucerne School of Applied Arts . Among his teachers there were the Swiss great artists Max von Moos and Werner Andermatt . Study visits followed, including in Rome , Paris and Athens .
From 1953 on, Villiger was a freelance graphic artist and painter in his own graphic and advertising office. In 1956 he married his wife Rita, their son Beat was born in 1957 and their daughter Irene was born in 1960. In 1974 the Villigers moved into their own house in Sins.
Villiger admired famous painters such as Pablo Picasso , but his teachers at the arts and crafts school had a direct influence on him: He adored Max von Moos until his death. He had taught his students to see the essentials and to feel the symbolic power. He had made them aware of the structure of the picture and practiced with them. Villiger kept these teachings to the last. The second teacher, Werner Andermatt, was also formative in many relationships.
He illustrated a great number of children's books, including “ Alois ”, which was awarded a prize at the World Book Exhibition in Leipzig. In addition to his work as a graphic artist, René Villiger devoted himself to painting and original graphics. His favorite motifs were people, faces: furrowed faces, clown faces - laughing, crying, thinking. The precise line was just as fascinating as the imaginative, subtle coloring. The tendency towards the surreal was palpable.
From 1977 to 1981 he trained Daniel Küttel as a graphic designer.
Villiger became an honorary citizen of Sins on August 22, 2005 and was honored at the community meeting on November 23, 2005.
He died of cancer on October 22, 2010 at the age of 79 in the AndreasKlinik (Hirslanden) in Cham ZG .
Works (selection)
- chervil
- Way of life
- In the vicinity
- Tête à tête
- bunch of flowers
- Rita's garden
- memory
- Girl with pigeon
- Girl with candle
- Shepherd
- Nativity play
- Light time
- Christmas
- Still life with book
- Illustrations for: Max Bolliger : Alois - A picture book
- Illustrations for: Max Bolliger: Peter the tiny star - children's book
- Illustrations for: Max Bolliger: The bread of the angels - children's book
- Illustrations for: Neue Schulbibel , Benziger Verlag, Cologne 1973, ISBN 3545430448
- Illustrations for: Lise Meyer-Camenzind : Spitalliebe
Web links
- Literature by and about René Villiger in the catalog of the German National Library
- Official website
Individual evidence
- ↑ Obituary from the municipal council of Sins (PDF; 31 kB) in: Sins of October 27, 2010
- ↑ René Villiger - storyteller with pen and brush. In: Anzeiger für das Oberfreiamt from February 2, 2001
- ↑ Image citizen letter of the community of Sins (no longer available online)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Villiger, René |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss graphic artist and painter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 6, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sins |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 22, 2010 |
| Place of death | Cham ZG |