'Albert Samuel Anker' (
April 1,
1831 -
July 16,
1910) was a
Swiss painter and illustrator noted for his portraits of children.
After taking early drawing lessons with
Louis Wallinger between
1845 and
1848, he studied
theology beginning in
1851 in Berne and continuing at the university of
Halle,
Germany. But in
Germany he was inspired by the great art collections, and in
1854 he convinced his father to consent to an artistic career, upon which Albert moved to
Paris where he was in the studio of
Charles Gleyre.
He married Anna Rüfli in
1864 and they had four children together: Louise, Marie, Maurice and Cécile. The children appear in some of his paintings.
Many Swiss
postage stamps have incorporated Anker's work, particularly those
semi-postal stamps whose surcharge goes to youth charities.
References
★ H.A. Lüthy, S. Kuthy, ''Albert Anker'' (1980) (German)
★ S. Kuthy, T. Bhattacharya-Stettler, ''Albert Anker, Ölgemälde und Ölstudien'' (1995) (German)
External links
★
www.albert-anker.ch
★
Albert Anker paintings online