Jean Egger 1897-1934

Jean Egger was born as Hans Egger 1897 in Hüttenberg in Carinthia (Austria). He studied at the Art Academy in Munick from 1918 until 1922 in the class of Heinrich von Züngel und Carl Johann Becker-Gundahl. Then he travelled to Italy, Holland, and Scandinavia, where he met the painter Edward Munch. In 1925 Egger moved to Paris and changed his name into Jean Egger. He gained access to the art and culture scene in Paris and met important people like Chaim Soutine, Moise Kisling, Leopold Zborowski, Beatrice Hastings und Paul Clemencau, the brother of the French president, who was married with the Austrian Sophie Szeps. In 1926 Egger took part in exhibitions at the Salon of the Artistes Indépendants and at the Salon of the Tuileries, he received a lot of positive reactions for his works. Jean Egger met Signe Wallin, who became his muse and live-in partner. In summer 1930 they travelled to Sweden, where Egger painted a series of landscapes. Because of a lung disease they moved to the spanish island Mallorca in 1932. Jean Egger was a popular portraitist and exhibited very successfully in many shows in Paris.

Jean Egger died on tuberculosis in 1934 in Klagenfurt in Carinthia.