David Hess (painter)
Encyclopedia
David Hess was a Swiss
writer, caricaturist
, and politician.
in Holland.
He was witness to the massacre at the Swiss garden by French revolution
ary troops, which made him a decided opponent of the revolution. In 1796 David Hess returned to Zurich. He saw the invasion of French troops and the end of the Old Swiss Confederation
while serving as a captain with the Zurich troops in Aarberg, but did not take part in the battle of Berne or the battle at Grauholz.
In May of the following year he married Anna Hirzel. She died in 1802 after the birth of their second child. In 1805 he married Salome Vischer.
In September 1798 during the second battle for Zurich, foreign soldiers were quartered on his estate - an unpleasant consequence of the Helvetic Republic
. He would later participate in a campaign against billeting. At the beginning of the mediation period
in 1803, David Hess again took part in politics. From 1803 to 1830 he was a member of the Zurich Cantonal Parliament, although he was not particularly active in it.
He had a wide circle of acquaintances, including Johann Martin Usteri, Johann Gottfried Ebel, the young Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, and Philipp Christoph Kayser. And as a member of the Zurich artist's society, he was considered an anchor of the city's cultural life. In his last years he withdrew more and more into reading. He died on 11 April 1843 at his estate.
. Another target of his many unpublished cartoons were the Zurich government and Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1801 he published a successful collection of caricatures under the pseudonym David Hildebrand.
In addition to his own diary, Hess wrote a biography of Salomon Landolt, the governor of Greifensee
.In his entertaining 1818 work "Badenfahrt" (Trip to Baden), Hess described the city of Baden and its bath
s. He also drew all of its illustrations.
He remained a sharp critic of post-revolutionary conditions and democratic aspirations. In 1832, when protesters
of the Industrial Revolution
set fire to a mechanical spinning factory in Uster
, he commented mockingly:
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
writer, caricaturist
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
, and politician.
Life
Hess grew up on a country estate, the Beckenhof, in Zurich-Unterstrass. His father, Johann Rudolf Hess, was a Dutch officer stationed in Zurich. His mother, Martha de la Tour, was the daughter of a French mining engineer. In accordance with his father's wishes, Hess pursued a military career from 1787 to 1796 as a Swiss GuardSwiss Guard
Swiss Guards or Schweizergarde is the name given to the Swiss soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century. They have had a high reputation for discipline, as well as loyalty to their employers...
in Holland.
He was witness to the massacre at the Swiss garden by French revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
ary troops, which made him a decided opponent of the revolution. In 1796 David Hess returned to Zurich. He saw the invasion of French troops and the end of the Old Swiss Confederation
Early Modern Switzerland
The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy , lasting from formal independence in 1648 to the French invasion of 1798 came to be referred as Ancien Régime retrospectively, in post-Napoleonic Switzerland.The early modern period was characterized by an increasingly...
while serving as a captain with the Zurich troops in Aarberg, but did not take part in the battle of Berne or the battle at Grauholz.
In May of the following year he married Anna Hirzel. She died in 1802 after the birth of their second child. In 1805 he married Salome Vischer.
In September 1798 during the second battle for Zurich, foreign soldiers were quartered on his estate - an unpleasant consequence of the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
. He would later participate in a campaign against billeting. At the beginning of the mediation period
Act of Mediation
The Act of Mediation was issued by Napoleon Bonaparte on 19 February 1803 establishing the Swiss Confederation. The act also abolished the previous Helvetic Republic, which had existed since the invasion of Switzerland by French troops in 1798. After the withdrawal of French troops in July 1802,...
in 1803, David Hess again took part in politics. From 1803 to 1830 he was a member of the Zurich Cantonal Parliament, although he was not particularly active in it.
He had a wide circle of acquaintances, including Johann Martin Usteri, Johann Gottfried Ebel, the young Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, and Philipp Christoph Kayser. And as a member of the Zurich artist's society, he was considered an anchor of the city's cultural life. In his last years he withdrew more and more into reading. He died on 11 April 1843 at his estate.
Works
In 1795 a collection of twenty cartoons called regenerata Hollandia were published in London. These criticized the Batavian RepublicBatavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
. Another target of his many unpublished cartoons were the Zurich government and Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1801 he published a successful collection of caricatures under the pseudonym David Hildebrand.
In addition to his own diary, Hess wrote a biography of Salomon Landolt, the governor of Greifensee
Greifensee
Greifensee is a small lake in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- Geography :Lake Greifen is located to the northeast of the city of Zurich, separated by the Pfannenstiel from Lake Zürich...
.In his entertaining 1818 work "Badenfahrt" (Trip to Baden), Hess described the city of Baden and its bath
Bathing
Bathing is the washing or cleansing of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practised for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....
s. He also drew all of its illustrations.
He remained a sharp critic of post-revolutionary conditions and democratic aspirations. In 1832, when protesters
Luddite
The Luddites were a social movement of 19th-century English textile artisans who protested – often by destroying mechanised looms – against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt were leaving them without work and changing their way of life...
of the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
set fire to a mechanical spinning factory in Uster
Uster
Uster is a city and capital of the district Uster in the Swiss Canton of Zürich.It is the third largest city in the Canton of Zürich, with over 30,000 inhabitants, and is one of the twenty largest cities in Switzerland...
, he commented mockingly:
- "You know the people aren't too bright
- when even in broad daylight,
- the party in Uster couldn't be celebrated
- until it were illuminated."