Lower Engadin Culture.

Engadin Houses & Sgraffiti

Tschlin, Unterengadin, im Winter
«Sgraffito» is the name of the handicraft that adorns the Engadin houses and contributes to the unmistakable charm of the villagescape. Sgraffito art originated in the mid-17th century and can still be found in Engadin villages today. Learn more about the technique and what else is behind the decorations here.
Guarda Winter, Andrea Badrutt
Engadinerdorf Ardez im Winter
Tschlin, Unterengadin, im Winter
Winterliches Engadinerhaus in Sent
Susch, Unterengadin, im Winter
Sgraffito in Sent
Sgraffito in Scuol
Malerische Engadiner Häuser im Unterengadin.
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Impressive sgraffito art in the lower Engadin.

Guarda

Time stands still in the almost completely preserved village centre of Guarda. In the winding alleys and on the historic footpaths you will find beautiful Engadin houses and numerous sgraffiti.
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The most beautiful sgraffito villages in the Engadin

Ardez

The open-air museum and model village of the Lower Engadin – Ardez. Discover the unique sgraffito decorations and let yourself be enchanted by the charm of the village.
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The most beautiful sgraffito villages in the Engadin

Tschlin

Situated high above the Inn, a wonderful world in itself. Tschlin literally invites you to stroll through the village and marvel at the Engadin houses.
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The most beautiful sgraffito villages in the Engadin

Sent

The proud Engadin mountain village invites you to linger with its alleys and village square. Pause for a moment and marvel at the numerous sgraffiti on the house walls.
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The most beautiful sgraffito villages in the Engadin

Susch

Resembling a house wall, Susch stands firm and immovable, like a dam on the Flüela Pass. Its façade gives an idea of the rich culture that awaits us when we enter.
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The most beautiful sgraffito villages in the Engadin

Ftan

Ftan is beautifully situated on a sunny plateau in the Engadin. Here the view is doubly rewarding – into the valley and also the surrounding villages. 
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The most beautiful sgraffito villages in the Engadin

Scuol

Hidden away from the main road «Stradun» in the village of Scuol Sot is a village centre in typical Engadin style. You feel right at home and at ease here.
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The most beautiful sgraffito villages in the Engadin

Zernez

The village of Zernez was shaped by a village fire in 1872, but the «Runatsch» part of the village still has its Engadin style and invites you to linger.
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In search of clues.

A tradition in the Lower Engadin

A tradition for all eternity

The sun shines and plays with the sgraffiti on the walls of the houses in the village of Susch in the Lower Engadine. The shadows always emphasise a different facet of the sgraffiti depending on the position of the sun, so it is never boring to observe the frescoes. Rosettes, a life-size chamois buck, abstract graphics – many of the sgraffiti in Susch come from Josin Neuhäusler's father; he himself helped and learned a lot. The painter emphatically emphasises that there are far better sgraffito artists than him in the Engadine. But he is the one who regularly shows guests and locals what traditional Engadine craftsmanship is all about. Once around the house, down a little hill and you're already in the workshop where Neuhäusler gives his sgraffito courses to around 800 guests a year. Outside, the autumn sun is warming you, but it's fresh in the basement. It has to be, otherwise the sand-lime mixture in which the drawings are carved would dry too quickly. Josin Neuhäusler has prepared around 30 by 30 centimetre slabs for his guests to immortalise themselves on. The painter passes around a folder with ideas for traditional motifs and explanations. How about, for example, a dragon protecting springs and lakes?

Source: Contura, rhb.ch 

Passionate local painter – Josin Neuhäusler

Sgraffito-Kunst von Josin Neuhäusler im Engadin

Soft, like vanilla cream

But of course, the real sgraffiti are not created in Neuhäusler's studio. They're done outside, live at the house. The most important ingredient? Lime. In the past, lime was burned in lime kilns from raw materials found in old quarry stone walls. When the fire was extinguished with water, a mass «as soft as vanilla cream» was created, says the painter and plasterer. The cream was stored in barrels – the longer the better. If necessary, the oldest barrel was taken out first, the cream was mixed again with sand and lime, and the houses were plastered with it. «Five to seven layers of the mixture are applied over the stones,» explains Neuhäusler. Important: The substrate must be repeatedly wetted with water so that even the outermost layer can bond with the stone walls of the house. The right amount of sand is also crucial: «The base layer must be as grey as possible so that you can easily see the effects of the sgraffiti.» Then it's a case of – wait. The entire façade has to dry for a good six weeks before the sgraffito artists arrive. They discuss the desired motifs with the house owners months in advance and draw templates on paper. Between May and August – otherwise it is too cold for the work on the scaffolding – they get started. «A wet rainy day is ideal,» says Josin Neuhäusler, «so that you have a good seven hours to work on the entire side of a house – after all, it has to have a continuous structure.» A fine net stretched over the scaffolding helps: «It provides shade and protects against wind. At the same time, the moisture comes through the net.» Once the painters have applied a white layer of lime over the base coat, it is the turn of the sgraffito artists. Each is responsible for one work step – after all, each has his or her own signature. In the first work step, one artist pre-scratches the motifs, in the second, another removes the lime layer. In a third round, the final touches are scratched out. For this, usually only professionals are allowed to work: «That's the difficult thing about our profession: you're on the scaffolding and have to assess the effect from 15 metres away – and know what you've scratched one floor up.» The final spurt is not to be underestimated: As soon as the plaster hardens, you can't scratch anymore because the plaster could burst due to the vibrations. In addition, higher forces come into play: «We are responsible for about 50 percent of the result, 50 percent is decided by the sun,» says Josin Neuhäusler. That's why the artists have to pay exact attention to the position of the sun – depending on the angle from which the sun shines on the sgraffito, different effects result. 

A unique piece that lasts 300 years

However, Neuhäusler greatly appreciates this difficult aspect of his work: «After three months, you come back to a house and spend a whole day looking at the beautiful effects.» Besides, the man from Graubünden knows that he always leaves behind a unique piece that should last for 200 to 300 years. Because the sgraffiti last so long, you can still see so many of the works of art in the Engadine today. The tradition lives on, even if it is no longer on every new building. «Thirty years ago, sgraffiti belonged on every house, but now it's quieter,» says Josin Neuhäusler. «Today people build other houses – prefabricated houses, for example, made of wood. Although sgraffiti also looks good on modern façades.» Josin Neuhäusler puts aside the screws and compasses he used to explain the principles of sgraffito drawing on the small board. It is only a stone's throw from his studio to the centre of the village. He proudly poses in front of the chamois buck his father and he have conjured up on the wall of a house. The sun is shining and casting shadows on the works of art in the village. And Josin Neuhäusler is right. The sun moves and the effects of the sgraffiti change. Indeed, one could sit here and watch all day.

Quelle: Contura, rhb.ch 

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Sgraffito-Kurs mit Josin Neuhäusler.

For your home. Engadin sgraffito from our own hand

Take a piece of the Engadine home with you. Local painter Josin Neuhäusler introduces you to the technique of sgraffito art and explains its meaning.
More about sgraffito for the home