From 12 February to 16 May 2010, the Kunsthaus Zürich will host one of the world’s most important private collections – the Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection.

The collection’s main focus is on French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, including other 19th-century French painters. Since it fell victim to a robbery in 2008, the collection’s museum in Zürich has been accessible only with restrictions.

For the Kunsthaus Zürich, whose success in the past century has been closely intertwined with private collectors and sponsors, the show constitutes a kind of dress rehearsal, since the about 180 paintings and sculptures in the current exhibition are intended to take up their permanent place in the Kunsthaus extension when it opens in 2015.

Lukas Gloor and Christoph Becker, co-curators of the exhibition, have integrated two of Monet’s monumental water lily paintings, presented by Bührle to the Kunsthaus, into the 155 paintings and 16 sculptures on show. A detailed illustrated biography of Bührle, who acquired most of the pieces in his collection between 1951 and 1956, provides information about his life and role in Swiss history, especially during the Second World War.

World-renowned works of art such as van Gogh’s ‘The Sower’, Renoir’s ‘Little Irene’, Monet’s ‘Poppies near Vétheuil’, Cézanne’s ‘Boy in the Red Vest’ and Picasso’s ‘Italian Woman’ are also to be found in the Foundation E.G. Bührle Collection.

Emil Georg Bührle

The Zurich-based industrialist Emil Bührle (1890–1956), the source of some of the Kunsthaus Zürich’s most valuable donations, compiled his art collection mostly in the aftermath of the Second World War.

In addition, the collection holds major works by artists such as Frans Hals, Canaletto, Ingres, Delacroix, Manet, Degas, Gauguin, Signac, Vlaminck and Braque. The collection’s main topic is the role played by a burgeoning artistic freedom in the development of modern art.

The presentation of the Bührle Collection, one of the world’s leading private collections of European painting, is to be accompanied and enhanced by a wide range of guided tours and discussions. Please visit the exhibition website for individual event topics, dates and information about the many events accompanying the show, press visuals, background information on provenance and a biography of Emil Georg Bührle.

Press contact:

Björn Quellenberg, Head of Press and Communications
bjoern.quellenberg@kunsthaus.ch
Kunsthaus Zürich

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 12:15 pm and is filed under Art, Exhibition, Painting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.