Collection online

Wilhelm Schmid was born in Remigen in 1892 and grew up in modest circumstances. After leaving school, he began an apprenticeship at BBC in Baden, but abandoned it to train as a draughtsman. He started working as an architect in Zurich in 1910. In 1911, he took a course in figure drawing at the Technikum [technical college] in Winterthur – his only artistic education – and would devote himself to painting as a self-taught artist. In 1912 he emigrated to Berlin, where he worked in various architectural practices. In 1916, he started working as a freelance architect and interior designer. In 1917, he presented his works for the first time in a solo exhibition at Galerie Goltz in Munich. He married the Jewish chamber singer Miriam Metz in 1918 and co-founded the artists’ association ‘Novembergruppe’ [November Group]. Between 1924 and 1930 he lived mainly in Paris, but continued to exhibit in Germany. From 1937, Schmid’s art was considered ‘entartet’ [degenerate]. He and his wife left Germany in 1938 and moved to Ticino. He tried to return to Berlin after 1947 but was unsuccessful. Schmid died as an honorary citizen of Brè sopra Lugano in 1971. The house he lived in there is now a museum.