Rene Auberjonois

René Victor Auberjonois (1872–1957) was a Swiss painter, draftsman, caricaturist, and illustrator, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Swiss art of the early twentieth century. Born in Lausanne, he studied in Dresden, in London at the Royal College of Art and in Paris where he attended the École des Beaux-Arts absorbing the influence of post-Impressionism and the Italian primitives. Returning permanently to Switzerland in 1914, Auberjonois developed a highly personal pictorial language marked by restrained, earthy palettes, geometric composition, and expressive deformation of form. His practice encompassed landscapes, still lifes, portraits, animals, theatrical scenes, and major projects in stage design and illustration.

Auberjonois maintained close intellectual and artistic relationships with leading cultural figures of his time, including the writer Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz, the composer Igor Stravinsky, and the designer Coco Chanel, collaborating on theatrical productions in which Ramuz wrote the texts, Stravinsky composed the music, Chanel designed the costumes, and Auberjonois conceived the sets. In the 1920s, he formed an important dialogue with Jean Dubuffet, accompanying him in his early interest in marginal and non-academic forms of expression and actively supporting the recognition of Louis Soutter through studio visits and exhibitions. In the 1940s, he developed a significant relationship with Balthus, with whom he shared a rigorous approach to form, discipline, and artistic independence.

Although often met with resistance in French-speaking Switzerland, Auberjonois achieved international recognition, participating in the Venice Biennale in 1948 and Documenta Kassel in 1955. His oeuvre occupies a central position in the history of modern Swiss painting and is held in major public collections worldwide.

The estate of René Victor Auberjonois is administered by PASSAGE.