Franz Theodor Aerni

Franz Theodor Aerni was born in 1857 and, after the death of his father, he moved with his mother and three siblings to Heiden, AR, and later to Winterthur. From 1870 to 1871, he studied under Johann Joseph Geisser in Lausanne. In 1872, he moved to Italy, where he became a student of Adeodato Malatesta at the Academy of Fine Arts in Modena, studying there until 1874. Afterward, Aerni moved to Rome, where he joined the German artists’ colony and studied under Salomon Corrodi at the Accademia di San Luca. He assisted Corrodi in his studio. In 1878 and 1879, Aerni traveled with Hermann Corrodi, the son of his teacher, on an art study trip to Egypt and Cyprus, where he made numerous sketches. Upon his return to Rome, Aerni formed a friendship with August Weckesser and also became acquainted with artists Frank Buchser and Karl Stauffer-Bern. Following the outbreak of World War I, Aerni returned to Switzerland. Summary: Franz Theodor Aerni, a Swiss artist, moved with his family after his father’s death