Jacques Élie Abraham Hermanjat attended the courses of Barthélemy at the École des Beaux-Arts in Geneva and exhibited his works from 1895. In 1886, after completing his studies, he moved with his wife to Algiers to live with his mother and brother. There he painted much acclaimed landscapes that were later successfully exhibited in Paris.

Because his wife suffered badly from the heat of North Africa, the couple in 1896 moved back to Switzerland, first to Lausanne, then to Lignières-sur-Chexbres and finally to Aubonne in 1910. Landscapes, particularly alpine motives, were the focus of Hermanjats oeuvre....