Emil Dill
Mädchen im Garten
1912
Current location
Stadthaus, Gubelstrasse 22, 6301 Zug, EG
Emil Dill is a key figure in Swiss modernism and Zug’s most prominent painter over the course of 40 years. Born as the son of a merchant in Pratteln in 1861, he attends the Gewerbeschule Basel (now the Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst) in 1877/78. Afterwards, he takes up academic studies in Stuttgart and Karlsruhe and eventually moves to Paris. The French capital, which becomes the European centre of modern art and a melting pot of diverse cultures at that time, serves as a source of inspiration for Dill. He produces watercolours depicting views of the city, whose lightness and Impressionist character mark a departure from the academic and conservative training Dill has received at the German art centres. The influences of Japonism on the progressive artistic circles of Paris can also be found in Dill’s works. On the one hand, they manifest themselves in compositional techniques such as cropping buildings and figures, thereby conveying the impression of a spontaneous snapshot. On the other hand, they can be seen in the choice of the motifs themselves. His later works “Marie im Kimono I + II” (shortly before 1900) provide an example of this. After his time in France he continues studying in Munich, where he meets, among others, Cuno Amiet (1868–1961) and Giovanni Giacometti (1868–1933), maintaining a long-standing friendship with both. In Munich, Dill deepens his knowledge of art techniques and theory and obtains a diploma to teach drawing and sculpture. This enables him to found his own art school in Zurich in 1894 with fellow artist Albert Fierz (1861–1913). A year later, he moves to Zug: Dill applies for a position as a drawing teacher at the Kantonale Industrieschule (now Kantonsschule) and teaches drawing, calligraphy and descriptive geometry there until 1935. With his new, steady income, he is now allowed to marry Marie Bohny from Liestal, with whom he eventually has two daughters.
Emil Dill’s intensive and varied years of study are also reflected in his artistic output. His oeuvre encompasses various techniques and styles, and his approach generally follows the academic standard of the German painting schools. The majority of his works consist of landscape motifs and vedute, followed by still lifes and portraits. The City of Zug’s collection includes various works from the artist’s estate, amongst them “Die Dachauerin” (1887). Dill creates this piece during his time in Munich and it is regarded as his first major work.
Genre
Material / Technique
Dimensions
Frame dimensions: 62.7 x 81.4 cm
Object-related numbers
KS 1046