Hans Finsler

About the Artist

Rene Burri. Portrait of Hans Finsler, Teacher of “Fotoklasse” at the Zürich School of Art and Design, Switzerland. © Rene Burri/Magnum Photos

Meeting Points

Photo Industry Hubs London
Exhibitions Film und Foto, 1929
Foto der Gegenwart, 1929
Publications Das deutsche Lichtbild, 1927–38
Foto-Auge, 1929
Es kommt der neue Fotograf!, 1929

Artist Chronology

December 7, 1891	Born At location: Hans Finsler	Zürich
1909–14	Studies architecture at the Technische Hochschule At location: Hans Finsler	Munich
1914–18	Studies art history with Heinrich Wölfflin and Paul Frankl At location: Hans Finsler	Munich
1922	Begins teaching himself photography At location: Hans Finsler	Halle
1922–32	Lives in Halle At location: Hans Finsler	Halle
1922–32	Works as a librarian and professor of art history at the Kunstgewerbeschule Burg Giebichenstein In 1927, Finsler initiates and begins teaching the first class on object photography. At location: Hans Finsler	Halle
1925–27	Werner Rohde studies under Hans Finsler at the Kunstgewerbeschule Burg Giebichenstein At location: Werner Rohde, Hans Finsler	Halle
1929	Franz Roh publishes Foto-Auge: 76 Fotos der Zeit Contributor: Herbert Bayer, Max Burchartz, Florence Henri, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Maurice Tabard, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Edward Weston, Franz Roh, Semyon Fridlyand, Robert Petschow, Sasha Stone, Dziga Vertov, Hans Finsler, Paul Edmund Hahn, J. Jay Hirz	Stuttgart
1929	Werner Graeff publishes Es kommt der neue Fotograf! Contributor: Herbert Bayer, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), Albert Renger-Patzsch, Hans Richter, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Oskar Nerlinger, Sasha Stone, Dziga Vertov, Hans Finsler, Cami Stone	Berlin
January 20–February 17, 1929	Fotografie der Gegenwart at Museum Folkwang Kestner Gesellschaft v.V, Königstrasse 8, Hannover March 10–April 7, 1929 Galerie Neumann-Nierendorf, Lützowstrasse 32, Berlin April 20–May 20, 1929 Whitechapel Art Gallery, London June 6–29, 1929 Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt July 7–August 8, 1929 Leipziger Kunstverein, Augustusplatz 6, Leipzig August 18–September 8, 1929 Lichthof des Neuen Rathauses, Dresden September 15–October 6, 1929 Kunstverein, Rostock October 20-November 10, 1929 am Adolf-Mittag-See, Städtisches Ausstellungsamt, Magdeburg November 28–December 19, 1929 Landesgewerbeanstalt, Kaiserslautern February 23–March 23, 1930 Vereinigung Göttinger Kunstfreunde, Göttingen May 18–June 8, 1930 Participant: Berenice Abbott, Herbert Bayer, Aenne Biermann, Max Burchartz, Florence Henri, Lotte Jacobi, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Hans Richter, August Sander, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Lucia Moholy, Karl Blossfeldt, Erich Comeriner, Eli Lotar, Oskar Nerlinger, Robert Petschow, Frieda Gertrud Riess, Sasha Stone, Hans Finsler, Paul Edmund Hahn, Cami Stone	Essen
May 18–July 7, 1929	Internationale Ausstellung des Deutschen Werkbunds Film und Foto (FiFo) at Städtische Ausstellungshallen Kunstgewerbemuseum, Zurich August 28–September 22, 1929 Im Lichthof des Ehemaligen Kunstgewerbemuseums, Prinz-Albrechs-Strasse 7, Berlin October 19–November 17, 1929 Stadtmuseum, Danzig (dates unknown) Österreichisches Museum, Vienna February 20–March 31, 1930 Agram, Zagreb April 5–14, 1930 Münchner Bund/Verein Ausstellungspark München E.V. (as part of Internationale Ausstellung. Das Lichtbild), Munich June 5–September 7, 1930 Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo April 1931 Asahi Shimbun, Osaka July 1–7, 1931 Participant: Berenice Abbott, Herbert Bayer, Aenne Biermann, Anton Bruehl, Francis Bruguière, Max Burchartz, Florence Henri, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, Helmar Lerski, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Hans Richter, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Charles Sheeler, Edward Steichen, Maurice Tabard, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Edward Weston, Lucia Moholy, Werner Rohde, George Hoyningen-Huene, Gustav Klutsis, Karl Blossfeldt, Heinz Loew, Erich Comeriner, Semyon Fridlyand, Roman Karmen, Eli Lotar, Oskar Nerlinger, Robert Petschow, Sasha Stone, Dziga Vertov, Yva (Else Simon), Willy Zielke, Irene Bayer-Hecht, Hans Finsler, Cami Stone Organizer: El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Hans Richter, Edward Steichen, Edward Weston, Dziga Vertov Visitor: Alexander Hackenschmied	Stuttgart
September–October 1929	Exhibition at Altonaer Künstlerverein Participant: Hans Finsler	Hamburg
1930	Exhibition at Kunstgewerbeverein Erfurt Participant: Hans Finsler	Weimar
February 1930	German Advertising Photographs at the Camera Club of London Participant: Sasha Stone, Hans Finsler, Cami Stone	London
May 17–October 12, 1930	International Hygiene Exhibition Organizer: El Lissitzky Participant: Hans Finsler	Dresden
June–September 1930	Das Lichtbild exhibition Participant: Aenne Biermann, Bill Brandt, Max Burchartz, César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, Florence Henri, Lotte Jacobi, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, Helmar Lerski, Walter A. Peterhans, August Sander, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Edward Weston, Lucia Moholy, Werner Rohde, Franz Roh, Marianne Breslauer, Alexander Hackenschmied, Edmund Kesting, Jean Moral, Willy Zielke, Lore Feininger, Hans Finsler	Munich
January 11–February 9, 1931	Die Neue Fotografie at the Kunstgewerbemuseum Participant: Berenice Abbott, Aenne Biermann, Florence Henri, Helmar Lerski, Werner Rohde, Hans Finsler	Basel
1932	Die Neue Photographie in der Schweiz exhibition Participant: Hans Finsler	Saint Gallen
1932	Appointed president of the Swiss Werkbund At location: Hans Finsler	Zürich
1932–72	Lives in Zurich At location: Hans Finsler	Zürich
1932–58	Teaches photography at the Kunstgewerbeschule At location: Hans Finsler	Zürich
May 25–November 25, 1937	Exposition internationale des arts et techniques dans la vie moderne at the Trocadéro Participant: Francis Bruguière, Germaine Krull, El Lissitzky, Maurice Tabard, Hajo Rose, Leni Riefenstahl, Willy Zielke, Hans Finsler, Max Penson Organizer: El Lissitzky Visitor: Gustav Klutsis	Paris
July 12–29, 1951	Subjektive Fotografie at Saarlandmuseum Participant: Hans Finsler	Saarbrücken
April 3, 1972	Dies At location: Hans Finsler	Zürich