The culture of Switzerland is so different that the Swiss often wonder
what keeps them together. While travel
Switzerland you can find absolutely different art, literature
and music in neighboring regions.
Among the best-known Swiss artists of the 19th - the start of 20th
century are Arnold Boecklin who created five versions of "The Isle of
the Dead" and whose works are in the Art Nouveau style and symbolism,
then, Albert Anker, noted for his portraits of children, and Ferdinand
Hodler who developed a style which he called Parallelism.
The 20th century is marked by such artists as Paul Klee, a Swiss
painter of German nationality, a recognized master of color, and Jean
Tinguely, famous for his kinetic art - sculpture with moving parts
powered by wind, a motor or a hand. Max Bill was the artist who
developed and popularized the style "Concrete Art" - "the pure
expression of harmonic measurement and law", as he said.
Switzerland and particularly Zurich was the cradle of the Dada movement
which began during World War I and was carrying out an anti war policy.
Dada or Dadaism was a nihilistic movement opposing the cruelty and
barbarism of the war. Dadaists rejected contemporary common values of
art and ignored aesthetics. As a cultural movement Dada inspired many
artists and influenced various movements - from Surrealism to Pop art.
It should be also mentioned that a great number of Swiss artists became
famous for their absurd and playful artworks, as a surrealist artist
and photographer Meret Oppenheim with his "Fur Breakfast". The Cow
parade in Zuricn
proves that
statement. During this exhibition the city was full of fiberglass
sculptures of cows, painted in bright colors and several months later
the exquisite ruminants are sold by auction which proceeds donated to
charity.
As for art museums of Switzerland, concentrated in its main cities - Bern, Zurich and Geneva, they are
internationally known both for their rich collections of masterpieces
and for the impressive architecture.
|