Emil and Margarete – Gallery

Emil Schmid (1891-1982) was a botanist and visual artist. Some of his works, most of them pastel landscapes, are on display on this website.

Emil was born in Cannstatt, Germany, and grew up in Nürnberg. He was the youngest of a large family, and only he had the opportunity to study at university. He went to Zürich, Switzerland, to study biology. Already in his early years he had a strong interest in art; most of his drawings featured natural motifs.

During his years in Zürich he met Margarete Gams, an aspiring artist of Austrian origin. They married in 1921, originally intending to live in Sardinia, but eventually settled in northern Italy. Their first child was born in 1924 while Emil continued to pursue both his scientific and artistic interests.

In 1931 the young family returned to Zürich, where Emil was put in charge of the University Botanical Gardens. Two more children were born there. During World War II, relatives from Germany stayed with the family in Zürich.

From 1944 onward Emil’s main project was the “Botanical Map of Switzerland,” based on extensive field studies across the country. These research trips also became periods of rich creative work.

In the academic year 1958/59 Emil served as a visiting professor at Istanbul University. Margarete accompanied him; both were fascinated by everyday life in mid-20th-century Turkey, and many of their drawings and paintings capture these impressions.

Margarete died in a car accident in 1960. Emil, living alone in Zürich, remained relentlessly active in both scholarship and art until his death in 1982. His legacy was divided among his three children and is now scattered among his grandchildren.

This website seeks to provide an overview of the different periods of his artistic career.