Albert Anker. Reading Girls
22 Mar 2024 — 21 Jul 2024 at Kunstmuseum Bern
· Bern
Albert Anker (1831–1910) is one of Switzerland's most cherished painters, renowned for his warm, intimate scenes of rural life. This exhibition brings together works centred on one of his most enduring motifs: young girls quietly engaged in the act of reading.
Through oil paintings, watercolours, and drawings, the show traces how Anker returned again and again to this subject, investing each image with careful observation, gentle light, and a deep respect for childhood. The works reveal not only his technical mastery but also his belief in education and literacy as fundamental human values.
Visitors are invited to discover the quiet poetry of these scenes and to reflect on the world Anker depicted with such affection and precision.
Through oil paintings, watercolours, and drawings, the show traces how Anker returned again and again to this subject, investing each image with careful observation, gentle light, and a deep respect for childhood. The works reveal not only his technical mastery but also his belief in education and literacy as fundamental human values.
Visitors are invited to discover the quiet poetry of these scenes and to reflect on the world Anker depicted with such affection and precision.
About the artist
Albert Anker
1831–1910 · realism
Albert Anker was a Swiss painter and illustrator who has been called the "national painter" of Switzerland because of his enduringly popular depictions of 19th-century Swiss rural life.
About the artist →About the venue
Kunstmuseum Bern
· Bern
The Museum of Fine Arts Bern, established in 1879 in Bern, is the museum of fine arts of the de facto capital of Switzerland.