Exhibitions at the Museum of Art and History

Fine Arts, a collection revisited

From Konrad Witz to Alberto Giacometti 

Initiated in spring 2018, the new exhibition on the first floor devoted to the Fine Arts collection has finally been completed. This permanent exhibition covering more than 2,000 m² puts a new face on the collection, as more than half of the works now on show have been taken from the reserves.

This new circuit is also the culmination of research conducted in recent years, focusing on the museum’s French, Italian and, more particularly, Flemish and Dutch works. It also offered the perfect opportunity to carry out major conservation-restoration work on some 350 pieces.

Organised in chronological order, the new circuit places Swiss art in its European context, from the Middle Ages to the middle of the 20th century. “In line with the artistic and historical role of the museum, this exhibition also serves up a more general history of taste and ideas,” explains Lada Umstätter, Chief Curator of the Fine Arts department.

The Child in Swiss Art

From Agasse to Hodler

This exhibition addresses how the child is represented in Swiss art, from 1830 to 1930. From the 19th century, art and literature began to examine the child as a theme in its own right: artists explored this figure from every perspective, ranging from their hopes, needs and tastes to the innermost aspects of their psyche. Divided into four sections – motherhood; the child in the family; the child in society; and the sufferings of the child – the exhibition portrays the image of the child through paintings and sculptures drawn from the MAH collections which have rarely, if ever, been seen.

Guided visit on Tuesday 23 June at 12.30 p.m. by Brigitte Monti, scientific associate
Duration of the visit: 1 hour 
Reservations online