Very English Swiss

Samuel Hieronymus Grimm (1733-1794) recorded, in watercolor and pen and ink, great historical events as well as everyday English life in the 18th century. Born near Bern, Switzerland, Grimm moved to London in 1768 and began an unrivaled career documenting the landscape and antiquities of Britain, and gaining a reputation for accuracy and speed. His extensive travels resulted in more than 2,600 drawings and watercolors, ranging from pure landscape to highly valuable scenes of country life of the day. Grimm also published witty political and social caricatures. This new book, published to accompany an exhibition at the Kunstmuseum, Bern, opens a window onto 18th-century England.