Hans Iten was born in Zurich and studied painting and drawing at the School of Art, St Gall, Switzerland. He worked for a few years in Paris, befriending the Impressionist painter Pierre Montezin (1874-1946), from whom he took great influence. The Impressionist focus on light and atmosphere, over physical detail, is very evident in Iten’s work.
He later took up a post as a damask designer with a linen manufacturer in Belfast, the city which became his home until his death. Iten exhibited with and was closely associated with the Belfast Art Society, being elected a vice-president in 1906. He also submitted paintings to the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) in Dublin, the first being displayed in 1908. In total, almost 50 of Iten’s pictures appeared at the RHA during his lifetime. In addition he submitted successfully to the Society of French Artists and exhibited in several UK galleries such as: Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; the Fine Arts Society, London; and the Royal Academy (RA).
Hans Iten’s works appear in several collections, including: County Museum, Armagh; Queen’s University, Belfast; Ulster Museum, Belfast; Hugh Lane Gallery of Art, Dublin.
