Jean Huber

Life

The lawyer and officer Jean Huber was born into a family and was ennobled Geneva 1752 Member of the Council of the City of Geneva. After the establishment of Voltaire on Lake Geneva, he was soon accounted for friends of the writer. Jean Huber made ​​initially of their own accord, later commissioned numerous portraits of people living in Ferney from 1757 to writer. The range of techniques ranging from the silhouette over the copperplate engraving to oil painting and small sculpture. Almost all the works of Huber's wearing humorous caricature and to idealistic traits. The work of Huber enjoyed not getting the consent of the sitter. When the followers and friends of Voltaire the portraits were in great demand. Especially the Baron Friedrich Melchior Grimm made ​​Jean Huber everywhere known. The main work of Huber was a series of paintings Scènes de la vie de domestiques Voltaire, created from 1769 to 1772 on behalf of Catherine II. Goethe met Jean Huber 1779 whose country seat know and called him " a man, the spirit, imagination, imitation desire to all the members want out ."

According to Jean Orieux Huber had a circus mature craftsmanship. He was able to cut silhouettes of guests from black paper behind his back. His dog he had trained the extent that this such bite in a pre -preserved by Huber slice of cheese that after several bites the silhouette Voltaire was apparent. In a letter Matthisson however, is the speech of zurechtbeisst a slice of bread on the back of his master the silhouette of Voltaire from the hunting dog Huber.

Because of its subject Huber was nicknamed Voltaire. His son François Huber was known as a naturalist.