Franz Gertsch: Looking Back

The internationally famous Swiss artist Franz Gertsch will celebrate his ninetieth birthday in 2020. The Graphische Sammlung ETH Zürich, which has a long-standing relationship with the artist and which is one of the most important presentation locations for his printed works, is celebrating the occasion with an exhibition and a lavishly illustrated jubilee publication. In addition to his portraits, which are now counted among the icons of Swiss art, Gertsch is famous for his captivating landscapes. Less well known, however, are his outstanding early works, created in the 1940s to 1950s, and it is on these that the volume focuses. In consultation with Gertsch himself, curators chose a number of themes from his own collection and the holdings of the Graphische Sammlung ETH Zürich. The resulting book pays brilliant homage to a legendary artist and his storied career.