A former artists residence to explore
Artists residences are unique sources which hold information about the creation of artworks and the social embedding of an artist in his time. There are just a few such time capsules left in their origin state worldwide where time seems to have stood still.
The art studio is a chamber of wonders, in which we step into Ankers world and stand surrounded by the objects from his artwork: toys, maps, pipes, tools, archeological findings, plaster models of antique statues…. Also everthing Anker needed to draw and paint ist fully conserved: the easel, palettes, brushes, color tubes… Also numerous drawings, aquarelles and oil studies can be admired.
Recollection of experiences from a former model
„… And now, a door to joy itself opens for the little girl: Nothing earth- shattering happens. First she just sits on the little chair and starts to knit. Then it lets his work rest for a while and gazes at the new surrounding: the big beautiful image above the door- the edge of a forest in spring, in the front a robin, with which one never knows if he flies of any minute,- the stuffed bird hanging from the ceiling by a long string,- on the wall this white hand, the leg, the arm and head one cannot really be sure where they come from and therefore appear a bit frightening to a small child. The painters little table with brushes and cups of all sizes and many, many colours and then the painter himself, who looks so searchingly from his deep seated eyes, but not at all frightening, oh no, these eyes are so good, one has great trust instantly and feels at home in this strange surrounding. He knows how to chat, this 73 year old man with the four year old girl. The menus of the two families are discussed and the girl hears that just today Mr. Anker wasn’t happy at all with the cook, because she cooked something he doesn’t like at all. This allowed her to tell him what she doesnt like to eat, tripe for example, which are so slippery and spongy and not good at all, the white turnip that are so bitter and how at home one has to try everything that is served. For everthing he seemed to be understanding, also for her mother who puts only a little of those things on her plate. „You have a good mother, you have to keep making her happy, yes?“
Reading „Happy days with the painter Albert Anker“ by Martha Kellerhals- Stucki on the opening of the Anker exhibition in 1967 in Ins.
