6641 - Waser, Anna

Waser, Anna Profile portrait of a boy with curly hair. Silverpoint and brush drawing on parchment. 15.3 x 10.5 cm. Inscribed and dated in the artist’s own hand: “Anna Wasera Figurina faciebat Ao 1704.” The miniature painter and etcher Anna Waser came from a distinguished Zurich family. At a young age, she received an excellent academic education and demonstrated not only a gift for Latin and French but also artistic talent. She received her first painting lessons locally from Johann Sulzer, under whose guidance she created the touching self-portrait of the twelve-year-old, which is now in the Kunsthaus Zürich. In the spring of 1692, Anna began an apprenticeship with Joseph Werner in Bern, remaining in his workshop as his only female student until 1696. After completing her training, she established her own practice in Zurich, specializing in miniature painting, and gained such a reputation in this discipline that in 1699 she was appointed court painter at the court of the Counts of Solms-Braunfels. In 1702, the artist—who remained unmarried throughout her life—returned to Zurich, where she developed a highly successful and widely acclaimed career until her untimely death in 1714 at the age of only thirty-five. This graceful, finely executed drawing depicts a cherub-like boy with curly hair. The clear lines, the sculptural modeling of the face, and the idealized serenity of the expression combine academic rigor with sensitive observation. This precious, small sheet is a very rare example of the drawing work of a female artist from the late 17th century. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.