Appointment as a court painter to Count Wilhelm Moritz von Solms-Braunfels in 1699 marked a professional peak for the Zurich-based artist Anna Waser. Operating within the constraints of late 17th-century social conventions, she secured formal training in miniature painting and etching, establishing a reputation that extended beyond her Swiss home to the courts of Hessen.
Early Training and Education
Born in Zurich in 1678 as the fifth child of Esther Müller and Johann Rudolf Waser, she benefited from the support of her father, a bailiff who actively encouraged her artistic development. Initial instruction from Johannes Sulzer proved insufficient, prompting her move to Bern at age fourteen. She spent four years in the workshop of Joseph Werner, a prominent painter, serving as the only female student in his professional studio.
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At age 21, she moved to Schloss Braunfels an der Lahn to fulfill her role as court painter for Count Wilhelm Moritz von Solms-Braunfels. Her tenure there was interrupted by family obligations in Zurich, specifically the illness of her mother and the travel plans of her brother, Johann Rudolf. These domestic responsibilities forced her to decline a planned study trip to Paris, redirecting her trajectory back to her birthplace.
Later Years and Documentation
Following her return to Zurich in 1702, her artistic output shifted to portraiture and pastoral scenes while she managed her parents' household. In 1708, she collaborated with her sisters, Anna Maria and Elisabeth, on a series of drawings. She later submitted a self-portrait executed in silver point, alongside an autobiography, to Jacob von Sandrart for inclusion in his art lexicon, Teutsche Academie. She died in 1714 at the age of 35 due to injuries sustained from a fall.
Fast facts
- Born: 1678, Zurich
- Died: 1714, Zurich
- Occupations: Painter, etcher
- Primary Teacher: Joseph Werner
- Patron: Count Wilhelm Moritz von Solms-Braunfels
- Collaboration: Sisters Anna Maria and Elisabeth Waser
- Nationality: Swiss
- Religion: Reformed
Questions readers ask
What medium did Anna Waser use for her self-portrait?
She utilized the silver point technique.
Why did she return to Zurich from Braunfels?
She returned to care for her ailing mother after her brother decided to travel to Holland.
