Franz Gertsch (1930–2022) is seen as a pioneer of photorealism and a master of the modern woodcut. One of the most important Swiss artists of his time, he achieved world fame with monumental works. Gertsch’s work moves between attention to detail and monumentality, close-up and distance, the human and the natural, and remains impressive even today with its scale, photographic precision and immersive effect.
More from The Kunstmuseum Bern:
“Franz Gertsch. Blow-Up” was developed by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in close collaboration with the artist and his family, and shown recently in the Deichtorhallen Hamburg. After this European rediscovery, the exhibition now comes to Switzerland as a two-part retrospective. It provides a comprehensive overview of more than six decades of artistic work.
![Franz Gertsch, "Marina schminkt Luciano [Marina Making Up Luciano]," 1975, Acrylic on unprimed cotton, 234 × 346 cm, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, loan from the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation, 1976, Photo: Historisches Archiv mit Rheinischem Bildarchiv, © Franz Gertsch AG](https://fineartconnoisseur.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/09_Gertsch_Marina-schminkt-Luciano-scaled.jpg)
From August 14, 2026 to January 17, 2027, the Kunstmuseum Bern is showing Franz Gersch: Blow-Up (Part I);
and from September 19, 2026 to February 28, 2027, the Museum Franz Gertsch in Burgdorf is showing Franz Gertsch: Blow-Up (Part II).
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Story prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Fine Art Today
