Barbara Basting10.09.2026The Great St Bernard Pass has always been known as a major alpine crossing point. Napoleon Bonaparte made skilful use of it for propaganda purposes.
Jose Cáceres18.08.2026In 1939 Hans Erni painted the mural "Die Schweiz, das Ferienland der Völker", which was designed to showcase Switzerland to the world. A year later – during the Second World War – he helped conceal alpine military installations from the enemy. Two commissions, one artistic eye.
Nicole Billeter23.07.2026Melancholy was everywhere in the early modern period: in letters, reports and biographies, but also in medical tracts and theological discourse. A diagnosis is speculative, but in some of the descriptions we can recognise what today is referred to as depression.
Barbara Basting19.03.2026Johann Jacob Diesbach was trying to develop a red lacquer. However, to his surprise, he came up with a vibrant blue. This is the story of a Berlin-based Swiss inventor.
Sophie Dänzer22.01.2026‘Outsider art’ is now an established term in the field of art history. In the early 20th century, works by people who stood outside established social and artistic conventions began to gain recognition. A patron of this art was Bernese psychiatrist Walter Morgenthaler.
Barbara Basting06.01.2026The mountain peaks and cliff tops of Saxony reminded Swiss artist Adrian Zingg of his homeland. He captured them in his drawings, thus helping them on their way to fame, and coined the name by which the region is still known today: Saxon Switzerland.
Barbara Basting21.10.2025Edouard Kaiser of La Chaux-de-Fonds was from a watchmaking family and dedicated a part of his artwork to the trade, which was in upheaval at the time.
Barbara Basting19.08.2025Frank Buchser is one of the most colourful figures in 19th century Swiss art. A number of his works were produced during the several years he spent in the United States.
