Albert Anker (Artist & Art in 5 minutes)

Albert Samuel Anker is one of the most popular 19th century Swiss painters, well renowned for his popular paintings depicting Swiss village life. Anker was born April 1, 1831 in Ins, Switzerland to a veterinarian father, and attended school in Neuchâtel where he would take drawing lessons and begin his artistic journey. While in school, Anker would meet Auguste Bachelin who would also grow into a fellow artist. Going on to attend university for theology in both Bern and Halle, Germany, Anker was inspired by the abundance of great art collections and abandoned his theological studies to pursue a career in art.

Anker moved to Paris in 1855 to attend the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts and bolster his professional art career, going as far as installing a painting studio in his parents attic and participating in art exhibitions in both Paris and Switzerland. In 1864, Anker married Anna Rüfli with whom he had six children, four of whom would grow to adulthood. While two of Anker’s children would die young, his four surviving children appeared in his paintings.

Anker’s Christian faith and belief in Swiss democracy heavily infl