Cham,30.09.2016

Works of former member of Swiss Guard and local artist Robert Schiess go on show

Robert Schiess (1896-1956) was a portraitist of some skill and a member of the Swiss Guard. For years his works have only been able to be seen by relatively few people but now a number of them is going on exhibition from this evening.
 
Swiss mercenaries have been deployed in wars and military service beyond the borders of the Confederation for centuries, enjoying a good reputation for their skills and reliability. So widespread was this that the Vatican sought their services to protect the pope, a duty they have performed since 1506; indeed, the Swiss Guard remains one of the oldest active military units in the world.
 
One of the members of the Swiss Guard of more recent times was Robert Schiess of Cham, who became a member of this prestigious unit in 1921. Already an accomplished painter, he began to decorate a number of rooms in the Swiss Guards’ quarters in Rome, in addition to painting the portraits of no fewer than 27 of the unit’s commanders, paintings which still hang in the mercenaries’ quarters to this day.
 
What was particularly fortunate was that he made copies of his works especially for his home municipality of Cham, though, as these hang in the Singsaal of the Kirchbühl school, not many people are able to see them. In fact in recent decades Schiess’ works have become quite forgotten. Yet which other municipality can boast a skilful artist like him, so closely connected with papal service over such a long period?
 
To put this right, an exhibition of his works, including some others from the Museum of the Swiss Guard Museum in Naters (in the canton of Wallis), is to go on exhibition in the Mandelhof from 6 pm this evening, following a drinks reception at 5 pm at the Kunstkubus in Cham.