The artistic career of Johann Ludwig Aberli began under the instruction of Heinrich Meyer in Winterthur before he transitioned to the drawing school managed by Johann Grimm in 1741. Over the following decades, he developed a distinct etching technique for reproducing landscapes that secured his financial status and established his reputation among European contemporaries throughout the eighteenth century.
Early Training and Education
Born in Winterthur on 14 November 1723, Aberli was the son of a watchman. After his initial schooling, he entered the workshop of Heinrich Meyer. By 1741, Meyer’s recommendation allowed him to enroll in Johann Grimm’s drawing school. During these formative years, he practiced as a decorative painter, eventually succeeding Grimm as the head of the institution in 1747.
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In the mid-1740s, a journey through the Bernese Oberland alongside Philipp Hieronymus Brinckmann shifted his professional focus toward landscape painting. By the 1750s, he launched a private workshop and a publishing venture to circulate his prints. This expansion included training apprentices like Adrian Zingg and Samuel Hieronymus Grimm. In 1759, he led these employees to Paris to study the techniques of Johann Georg Wille and view collections of Old Masters.
Technical Innovations and Legacy
To increase the accessibility of his watercolours, he invented an etching process now identified as the Aberlische Manier. This method significantly improved his commercial output. In 1774, he toured the Jura Mountains with Sigmund Freudenberger. He later hosted Johann Wolfgang von Goethe during the writer's 1779 visit to Switzerland. Aberli died in Bern on 17 October 1786. Following his death, Heinrich Rieter assumed control of his business operations.
Fast facts
- Born: 14 November 1723, Winterthur
- Died: 17 October 1786, Bern
- Citizenship: Switzerland
- Occupations: Painter, etcher, draftsperson
- Notable technique: Aberlische Manier
- Known associates: Sigmund Freudenberger, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Questions readers ask
What was the Aberlische Manier?
It was an etching method developed by Aberli to facilitate the reproduction of his watercolour landscapes.
Who continued Aberli's business after he died?
The artist Heinrich Rieter took over his business operations following his death in 1786.
