Archive
Swiss naturalist, sculptor, painter and prolific printmaker represented by this black-headed gulls and pin-tale ducks print. Artist living and working on the shores of Lac Léman (Pointe Bise nature reserve) near Geneva. His career and bird prints are reminding of Berlin sculptor and printmaker Emile Pottner (1872 - murdered 1942) who has left to us a similar naturalist oeuvre based on his observations.
In contrast to Pottner’s work Hainard’s work is preserved in the (online) Fondation Hainard where you can look up most of his work.
In 1928 his folio “Oiseaux du Port de Genève” (birds of Geneva harbour) was published as 10 xylographic bird portraits. From the website the original several water colour sketches show he kept closely to his careful field observations (2, 5 and 8).
In the foundations archive was found this other bird (Northern shovelled, Anas Clypteata) print but also several sketches, observations from nature. It is said he developed his own printmaking technique in 1927 resulting in this very soft almost watercolour painting affect.
Among his many great prints I also found his breathtaking print of a “braking speed” mallard before landing…………
gerbrandcaspers@icloud.com
