DE
Artists from A-Z Ernst Messerli

1907–1974
  • H 21 (1962)
    H 21
    Artist: Ernst Messerli Dating: 1962 Type: Painting Material: Oil and resin on canvas Measures: 132 x 122 cm Acces / purchase date: 1963 Inventory number: 0273 Copyright: © Nachlass Ernst Messerli; Fotos: Christian Baur, Basel
  • D 2 (1958)
    D 2
    Artist: Ernst Messerli Dating: 1958 Type: Painting Material: Oil on Pavatex Measures: 122,5 x 200 cm Acces / purchase date: 1963 Inventory number: 0270 Copyright: © Nachlass Ernst Messerli; Fotos: Christian Baur, Basel
  • Spaziergang (Sonntag, am Bahndamm in Riehen) (1946)
    Spaziergang (Sonntag, am Bahndamm in Riehen)
    Artist: Ernst Messerli Dating: 1946 Type: Painting Material: Oil on Pavatex Measures: 53,5 x 68 cm Acces / purchase date: 1963 Inventory number: 0267 Copyright: © Nachlass Ernst Messerli; Fotos: Christian Baur, Basel
  • K 10 (1963)
    K 10
    Artist: Ernst Messerli Dating: 1963 Type: Painting Material: Resin on canvas Measures: 170 x 180 cm Acces / purchase date: 1963 Inventory number: 0274 Copyright: © Nachlass Ernst Messerli; Fotos: Christian Baur, Basel
  • Kleines Fenster (1950)
    Kleines Fenster
    Artist: Ernst Messerli Dating: 1950 Type: Painting Material: Oil on canvas on Pavatex Measures: 58,5 x 45,5 cm Acces / purchase date: 1963 Inventory number: 0268 Copyright: © Nachlass Ernst Messerli; Fotos: Christian Baur, Basel
  • A 1 (1957)
    A 1
    Artist: Ernst Messerli Dating: 1957 Type: Painting Material: Oil on Pavatex Measures: 97 x 122 cm Acces / purchase date: 1963 Inventory number: 0269 Copyright: © Nachlass Ernst Messerli; Fotos: Christian Baur, Basel
  • D 9 (1958)
    D 9
    Artist: Ernst Messerli Dating: 1958 Type: Painting Material: Oil on Pavatex Measures: 30,5 x 50 cm Acces / purchase date: 1963 Inventory number: 0271 Copyright: © Nachlass Ernst Messerli; Fotos: Christian Baur, Basel
  • D 10 (1958)
    D 10
    Artist: Ernst Messerli Dating: 1958 Type: Painting Material: Oil on canvas Measures: 70 x 43,4 cm Acces / purchase date: 1963 Inventory number: 0272 Copyright: © Nachlass Ernst Messerli; Fotos: Christian Baur, Basel
The Basel painter Ernst Messerli, who died in 1974, was a virtuoso of color who knew how to delicately balance geometric compositions. For decades he led a double life: Soon he was completely a family man and taught color theory and penmanship at the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule Basel, soon he withdrew into the solitude of his studio and gave himself over to his passion for painting. Initially he painted figuratively, but in 1950 he switched to non-representational painting. In doing so, he used mainly geometric elements to unfold his color theory, which he had largely developed himself. Despite numerous exhibitions, a long-term response has almost completely failed to materialize.

Dr. Dominique von Burg