Jacques-Elie-Abraham Hermanjat (1862-1932)
Nature morte aux pommes, 1922
Tempera on toile
Signed and dated lower right : A. Hermanjat 22 ; Signed and dated on the reverse : A. Hermanjat / Août 1922
45 x 60 cm
Inspired by Cézanne, this skilfully constructed still life depicts a stoneware pot, apples and a tea towel placed on the table which adds a lighter touch to the composition, emphasising the green and red of the fruit. Hermanjat had close ties with the French avant-garde and was among the first Swiss artists to be inspired by Paul Cézanne and the Fauvist painters.
Trained in Geneva with Barthélemy Menn and Auguste Baud-Bovy, Hermanjat became known mainly for his Orientalist works. In 1886, he went to Algiers for the first time before making several other trips to the Maghreb. There he painted desert landscapes, scenes of daily life and portraits of locals. However, in 1896, he returned to Switzerland to settle permanently, abandoning oriental subjects, which were less popular with the public, who preferred Alpine views. Like many of his contemporaries, he then devoted himself to Swiss landscapes.