Jean-Pierre Lermite
Also known as: Jean-Pierre Schmid
Jean-Pierre Schmid, known as Lermite, was a Swiss painter, printmaker, and graphic artist born in Le Locle in 1920. He trained at the École d’Art in Biel, where he became familiar with early twentieth-century movements including German Expressionism, constructivism, and cubism. In 1946 he settled in La Brévine in a remote house called L’Ermitage, a name that eventually became his artistic pseudonym Lermite (derived from l’ermite, “the hermit”).
While his early work encompassed landscapes, figurative pieces, and expressionist themes, over time he shifted toward geometric and abstract forms, integrating architectural and natural motifs into his prints and paintings. In the late 1950s he embraced lithography, working extensively in grey and black tonal ranges that reflect his interest in structure and spatial rhythm. His art remained deeply rooted in the Jura region of western Switzerland, where rolling hills, rural forms, and winter light exerted a profound influence on his visual sensibility.
Lermite’s work continued to evolve through the 1960s and 1970s, and his contributions were recognized with regional exhibitions and awards. He died in 1977, and a foundation in his name now preserves and promotes his artistic legacy, particularly his explorations of landscape, form, and light.
