Anker Samuel Albert

Born on 01 April 1831: Samuel Albert (or Albrecht) Anker, Swiss painter and illustrator, specialized in Children, who died on 16 July 1910.   Anker's early interest in art was kindled by visiting the exhibitions of the Société des Amis des Arts in Neuchâtel in 1842, and he took private drawing lessons from Louis Wallinger [1819-1886] between 1845 and 1848. However he began studying theology in Berne in 1851, continuing these studies at the university in Halle.



During his stay in Germany he became acquainted with major German collections, notably the Gemäldegalerie in Dresden, which impressed him deeply. His father reluctantly consented to an artistic career, and in 1854 Anker moved to Paris, where he joined the studio of Charles Gleyre. He studied at the École Impériale des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1855 until 1860, meanwhile selling portraits. In 1861 he traveled in northern Italy, copying Old Masters such as Titian and Correggio.