Johann-Jakob Hauswirth was born in 1808 in Saanenthal, Switzerland. Little is known about this man. He earned his living as a farm laborer and charcoal-burner, paid by piece work in the woods that surround the narrow valley of the Sarine. As a laborer, he went from farm to farm, or worked in the woods. He would ask for a place to stay, and as a thank you he would give his hosts a cut little picture. It is not known why this woodsman, probably quite late in life took up scissors, and in a short time attained an absolute skill that rank his naive designs as little masterpieces.

He was said to have been very tall, to have a lurching gait due to some infirmity, probably from an accident. They said his hands were so big that he could not...