Salomon Gessner | |
|---|---|
 Portrait byAnton Graff (1765/66) | |
| Born | 1 April 1730 Zurich |
| Died | 2 March 1788 (aged 57) Zürich |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Known for | Painting Poetry |
Salomon Gessner (1 April 1730 – 2 March 1788) was a Swiss painter, graphic artist, government official, newspaper publisher, and poet, best known in the latter instance for hisIdylls. He was a co-founder of theHelvetic Society and the first publisher and editor of theNeue Zürcher Zeitung.
His father, Hans Konrad Gessner (1696–1775), was a printer, publisher, bookseller and member of the High Council of Zürich. From the age of six until his death, he lived in a home his father bought, at Münstergasse 9. He began an apprenticeship in 1749, at a bookshop in Berlin, but stayed for only a year, having decided to devote himself to landscape painting andetching. After a short stay in Hamburg, where he encountered the poetic works ofKarl Wilhelm Ramler andFriedrich von Hagedorn, he also developed an interest in poetry.
He returned home, without definite plans, but felt uninclined to take part in his father's business. Instead, he joined a group of young men, known as theDienstags-Compagnie, that met for discussions and social activities at the homes of their parents (in winter) or at a vineyard clubhouse inSelnau. There, they became enraptured by "Naturschwärmerei" (nature enthusiasm or enchantment) and fancied themselves to be ancientshepherds.
His first published poem wasLied eines Schweizers an sein bewaffnetes Mädchen and his first painting wasDie Nacht (1753). His next, longer poem,Daphnis (1754), was inspired by a translation ofLongus byJacques Amyot. The first edition of what would become his best known work,Idyllen, appeared in 1756 and a volume of collected works was issued in 1762. From then until 1772, he concentrated on painting.
In 1761, he was a co-founder of theHelvetic Society and, that same year, against fierce opposition, married Judith Heidegger (1736–1818), the daughter of one of his father's competitors. A year later, his daughter, Dorothea, was born and he became the artistic director of thePorzellanmanufaktur Kilchberg-Schooren [de]. A son, Konrad, was born the following year.
In 1765, he was elected to represent the porcelain guild on the Zürich High Council. Three years later, he won election as anObervogt (supervisor) for theTerritoriale Entwicklung Zürichs [de], in charge ofErlenbach, and his son Heinrich was born. After 1776, he held the same office forWipkingen.
In 1780, he began publishing and editing theZürcher Zeitung, which became theNeue Zürcher Zeitung in 1821. From 1781 until his death, he held the title of "Sihlherr", the senior administrator ofSihlwald, and was responsible for supplying firewood to Zürich. He spent the summers there, at a cabin in the forest.[1]
In 1792/93, the Gessner Monument was erected inPlatzspitz park. It was designed byAlexander Trippel [de] and was one of the first patriotic monuments in Switzerland. Another monument dedicated to him inBad Dürkheim was destroyed by the French in 1794.[2] Acommemorative plaque has been placed on his lifelong home.[1] Several streets and a bridge have been named after him.
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