Erich HermèsMessager des Arts

Known for his work as a poster artist and his decors integrated into architecture, Erich Hermès (1881-1971) was one of the most important Geneva painters of the first half of the 20th century. Close to Ferdinand Hodler, whose work had a profound effect on his early years, he moved towards New Objectivity and adopted a style that would be his own and that would evolve throughout his life. Although Hermes was fond of monumental art, he did not abandon easel painting, in which he expressed himself with the same sensitivity, whether he was painting a battle scene or a portrait of his two children. In addition to Switzerland (he lived in Geneva, Valais and the canton of Uri), he frequently travelled to Paris and Spain, destinations that were to have a major impact on his work.