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1930 born in Mörigen, canton of Bern

1947-50 education at the art school of Max von Mühlenen, Berne

1950-52 further education with Hans Schwarzenbach, Bern

1969 first large-size realistic paintings

1970 family and group scenes, “Situations”-portraits

1972 participation at the „documenta V”, Kassel, with the picture Medici

1976 Gertsch family moves to Rüschegg

1978 participation at the Venice Biennale

1980 Gertsch firsts starts painting a series of portraits with a self-portrait; followed by Irene, Tabea, Verena, Christina, Johanna

1986 Gertsch stops painting and concentrates on large-scale woodcuts

1994 starts painting again; by 1999 Gräser I-IV and Silvia I (1997/98) are created

1999 solo show at the Venice Biennale

2002 opening of the Museum Franz Gertsch in Burgdorf/CH

2005 Retrospective at the Museum Franz Gertsch and the Kunstmuseum Bern, further venues of the exhibition are Aachen, Tubingen and Vienna (2006)

2007-11 cycle of the four seasons with the paintings Herbst [Autumn] (2007/08), Sommer [Summer] (2008-09), Winter (2009) and Frühling [Spring] (2010/11)

2011 Franz Gertsch. Jahreszeiten [Seasons], works from 1983 to 2011, Kunsthaus Zürich

2011-13 Guadeloupe triptych with Maria (2011/12), Bromelia (2012) and Soufrière (2012/13)

2012 Frühling [Spring] (2010/11) is used as backdrop for the official photograph of the Swiss Government; Swiss Post issues three stamps inspired by Franz Gertsch’s woodcuts


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