Max Hunziker

The son of a milkman, Hunziker was born, lived, worked, and died in Zurich. As the youngest of twelve children, he was given the chance to receive a formal education and studied to be a school teacher, before deciding to take up art. In 1920, Hunziker traveled to Florence and spent five years in Italy, absorbing its rich legacy of sacred imagery. With support from Swiss Art Collector and Philanthropist Georg Reinhart, he continued his art education in Paris and Southern France from 1926 until 1939. Hunziker was especially drawn to the stained glass windows of the cathedrals in Paris, Chartres, Bourges, and Le Mans. He considered two modern French masters to be his mentors: Paul Cezanne and George Rouault.