Anna Waser
A Swiss portraitist whose exceptional talent in her brief life challenged the rigid gender barriers of the early 18th-century art world.
1678–1714 (age 36)·Swiss artist·Birthday: October 16
Biography
Anna Waser painted the likeness of Dutch diplomat Johann van Leenhoff, a prestigious commission that affirmed her reputation as a portraitist. Born near Zurich in 1678, she showed precocious skill with a brush. At age 12, she became a formal pupil of painter Joseph Werner in Bern. She mastered miniature portraiture and etching, producing work of psychological insight. Family duties after her mother's death curtailed her output. Waser's known body of work is small, but each piece demonstrates a formidable talent. She died at 36.
#1 When Anna Was Born
The biggest hits of 1678
Anna's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1678Born
1683Started school
1691Became a teenager
1694Could drive
1696Could vote
1699Turned 21
1708Turned 30
1714Died at 36
Key Achievements
- Became a recognized portrait miniaturist and etcher, receiving commissions from prominent Swiss and Dutch figures.
- Studied under the noted painter Joseph Werner in Bern, a rare formal apprenticeship for a woman in the late 17th century.
- Her self-portrait, painted at the age of 16, remains a key work in the study of early modern women artists.
Did You Know?
One of her most famous works is a self-portrait miniature showing her at her easel, painted in 1694.
She was also a skilled musician, known to play the harpsichord.
Much of her known work is housed in the Swiss National Museum in Zurich.
“I will prove that a woman's hand can wield the brush with the same mastery as a man's.”
