Paul Bodmer
Born in 1886.
Died in 1983.
Paul Bodmer (1886–1983) is documented for his work in mural and fresco painting. Among his public commissions is a large-scale composition created for the 1939 Swiss National Exhibition, cited in the sources under the titles «La Chanson de la Patrie» and «Ô mon pays, ô ma patrie».
His training began with an apprenticeship as a scenic painter under Albert Isler, after which he worked as a stage painter in Germany alongside Reinhold Kündig and Hermann Huber.
A self-taught artist, he deepened his knowledge through the study of the old masters and study trips, mainly to Italy. From 1910, he became part of the circle of independent painters gathered around Otto Meyer‑Amden.
On his return to Switzerland, he settled for a time in the remote village of Sternenberg, where he lived as an independent painter. Alongside his painting practice, he was appointed professor of decorative painting at the Zurich School of Fine Arts, a post he held from 1917 to 1921.
The commission for the frescoes in the cloister of the Fraumünster (1924–1934) marked a material turning point in his career, substantially improving his financial situation. His religious works include, notably, a fresco for the church in Wollishofen, painted in 1937 and featuring angels in flight.
His repertoire combines monumental compositions of a symbolic, historical or religious nature with landscapes and figures, and also includes theatre painting (stage scenery).
