Painter, author and philosopher of art.

Born: February 6, 1903 in The Hague, Netherlands
Died: October 14, 1994 in Zurich, Switzerland

The painter, Egon von Vietinghoff grew up in an artists' house which welcomed international visitors. His father was a pianist of German-Baltic origin and his mother of Belgian and Dutch ancestry was a writer of philosophical books. He spent his childhood in France (Paris) and Germany (Wiesbaden) and lived in Switzerland after 1913 (Geneva, Zuoz and finally Zurich).



Born a Russian subject, he became a Swiss citizen in 1922, together with his parents and his brother. From 1922 to 1937, he lived in Germany (Munich), Italy (on the isle of Capri), France (again in Paris), Spain (on the isle of Majorca), Argentina (Buenos Aires), and Uruguay (near Atlantida). In 1937 he settled down in Switzerland, first in Zollikon and then in Zurich, where he lived until his death in 1994.

He went on numerous trips (even on foot and by bicycle) through Morocco, Europe and Turkey, mostly in search of cultural sites and works of art. The first half of his life was marked by an innovative, enterprising, sports-loving and social spirit.







From the 1950s he led a rather withdrawn life, concentrating on his main work of painting and writing, while remaining mostly hidden from the public eye.

Vietinghoff can be seen to be a real European when one considers his ancestors and his four wives who were natives of Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. In addition, his fluency in many European languages and his extensive knowledge of European literature, all combined to form a truly European mentality.




With his research into painting techniques, he resurrected a forgotten treasure of the European painting tradition; with his creative power he contributed in his own manner to the diversity of 20th century painting.

Egon von Vietinghoff started his career as an artist at age 16 and decided to finally lay down his paint brush at the age of 86 years! In the studio at Ostbuehlstrasse 17 in Zurich-Wollishofen, Switzerland, he worked for 45 years.

Here, he produced 90 % of all his works. The housing estate "Neubuehl" was an ambitious project of the thirties. It was one of the first modern housing estates in Switzerland and is still unique, with its Bauhaus style.

In 1954, Vietinghoff married his fourth wife, Liane, from Salzburg, Austria.

After his three failed marriages, she decisively helped him and his son Alexander to new beginnings and with her great commitment and optimism enabled him to focus even more fully on his artistic calling.

Liane von Vietinghoff loved to walk and was an enthusiastic gardener. Both fields of interest procured for the painter welcome models for the bouquets he liked to paint; on the other hand, he went himself to the market to buy the fruit for his still lifes.


Liane patiently typed the manuscripts of his technique and philosophy of painting which he revised again and again, and helped him to sell his paintings to private collectors.

All his life he remained an outsider, unerring in his artistic judgment, and content to find his own path in life. He uncompromisingly followed his artistic conscience, his visual perception and the urge to translate that perception into painting. He did not work in a certain style just because it was fashionable and encouraged.

Usually, von Vietinghoff's artistic attitude and the nature of his painting style have not been recognized. In order to paint true to his convictions, he created in solitude but with devotion. Both in his life and art, he was like a rock which the stream of time flowed over and around, but did not change.






In winter, when daylight was insufficient in his studio, he red thick volumes of world literature or tended to his growing stamp collection.

In summer, he liked to sit on his balcony drinking tea, smoking and pursuing his favorite past times: correcting his manuscripts, writing humorous poems, playing chess with neighbors, or feeding titmice, chaffinches and his beloved