menn was the youngest of four sons, born in geneva to louis john menn, a confectioner from scuol in the canton of grisons, and charlotte-madeleine-marguerite bodmer, the daughter of a wealthy farmer from coinsins in the canton de vaud. already at the age of twelve, menn took drawing lessons from the little-known jean duboi (1789–1849), and later, he entered the drawing school of the . the repeated claim that he was also a pupil of the famous enameller abraham constantin appears to be erroneous.