Lisbeth Bissier

First a student and then the wife of Julius Bissier, Lisbeth goes on to develop an independent career in hand weaving, distinguishing herself for the intrinsic quality of her products, made in damasked silk and brocade - on the basis of old techniques that she retrieved - and awarded with exhibitions, museum acquisitions and recognition. Lisbeth also excels for her entrepreneurial skills, creating her own hand-weaving business, with adjacent spinning mill - where the threads are hand-spun - and dyeworks - where natural colours are used. At the death of her husband, Lisbeth Bissier sets up the Bissier Archive and devotes herself to the first cataloguing of the artist's works, conserving both his oeuvre and his memory.

Freiburg

12
12
1903

1903

Lisbeth Hofschneider is born.

1920

Is a painting student of Julius Heinrich Bissier.

1922

Marries Julius Bissier.

1926

Designs carpets. Her daughter Dorothée is born.

1928

Her son Uli is born.

1929

Studies in the Textile and Fashion School in Berlin, thanks to financial support from the wife of the psychiatrist Hans Prinzhorn.

1930

Self-taught, she begins to weave; she then sets up her own weaving workshop.

1939

Moves to Hagnau am Bodensee, where she opens a textile factory that she enlarges with a spinning mill and a dyeworks for wool (where she uses colours extracted from plants and minerals).

1946 - 1952

She produces small tapestries and wall carpets (sometimes to designs by Julius Bissier) and successfully devotes herself to experimenting with traditional weaving techniques (damasked silk) on modern models.

1955

Receives the Hessian State Award

1956

Receives the Baden-Württemberg State Award.

1960

The textile factory is closed.

1961

Moves to Ascona, on Lake Maggiore.

1960 - 1989

Devotes herself almost entirely to curating the work of her husband, Julius Bissier

Ascona

21
04
1989

Solo shows (selection)

  • Karl-Ernst Osthaus-Museum, Hagen 1960
  • Museum Ulm 1966
  • Galerie Alice Pauli, Lausanne 1966 (with Julius Bissier)

Participation in exhibitions of carpets or textiles

  • Kunstgewerbemuseum Zürich "Deutsche Wertarbeit" 1943
  • Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen 1953
  • X. Triennale di Milano 1958
  • Hälsingborg 1955
  • Kunstmuseum St.Gallen, Neue Schweizer Bildteppiche, 1959
  • Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hannover 1961
  • Städtischen Wessenberg-Galerie, Constance 2005

Museum acquisitions

  • Kunstgewerbemuseum Köln
  • Kunsthalle Mannheim
  • Landesmuseum für Kunst u. Kulturgeschichte Münster
  • Museum Kaiserslautern
  • Landesgewerbemuseum Stuttgart

Bibliography

  • Wegleizung Kunstgewerbemuseum Zürich 158, 1943
  • Vollmer V.; 1961
  • M. Braun-Ronsdorf, Handweberei Damaste von Lisbeth Bissier, in Kunst 53,1954/55, p. 64-67.
  • Lisbeth und Julius Bissier, in Werkkunst 18, 1956.
  • Julius Bissier, exhibition catalogue Galerie Alice Pauli, Lausanne 4 June-23 July 1966 (insert: Tapisseries de Lisbeth et Julius Bissier, 6 p.).
  • Lisbeth Bissier, Julius Bissier: Bildteppiche, exhibition catalogue Museum Ulm 13 March - 17 April 1966.
  • H.Wichmann, Von Morris bis Memphis, Basel 1990, p,. 245,255,439.
  • "Eigenwillig" - Künstlerinnen am Bodensee 1900 bis 1950, exhibition catalogue Städtische Wessenberg-Galerie, Constance 2005