Kunstmuseum Basel

Basel, Switzerland is widely regarded as an art-centric city. One of the most prestigious art fairs in the world is Art Basel, which attracts artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts from around the world. The city is home to several dozen art galleries, specializing in art from artists near and far both in terms of time period and country of origin.

Easel-y one of the most precious gems of the city’s art space is the Kunstmuseum Basel. Located in the heart of Basel, the Kunstmuseum has represented the city’s devotion to art since 1661. It is the oldest municipality-owned art gallery in the world, meaning it was the very first art gallery open to the public! It would be 132 more years before Paris’ Louvre, for example, was open to the public. The museum’s collection of classical art colors the Kunstmuseum as one of the finest collections anywhere in the world. Its collection includes art from almost every well-known artist from the 15th century onward, including the largest collection of works by the Holbein family.

There are notable works from artists including Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Rembrandt van Rijn, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Lynda Benglis, Edgar Degas, and Paul Klee… just to name a few!

The Kunstmuseum doesn’t rest on the laurels of these iconic artists from history; much like the city of Basel itself, it is committed to celebrating contemporary art just as loudly as the works of van Gogh or Monet (no disrespect to Vincent or Claude, of course!). In fact, the Kunstmuseum is comprised of three buildings: one for art from pre-Renaissance to the 19th century, one dedicated to contemporary art, and the last devoted to temporary exhibitions. Some of the contemporary art that the Kunstmuseum includes works by Warhol, American painter Helen Frankenthaler, and artist and photographer Louise Lawler, among many, many more.

The Kunstmuseum is listed as a Swiss Heritage Site of National Significance, and a look at its history certainly gives credence to that title. In 1939, the Kunstmuseum Basel acquired a significant collection of works by German-Jewish artists. These artists’ paintings had been labeled as “degenerate art” by the Nazi regime not only due to their modernist and avant-garde styles, which did not align with the regime’s ideals of art, but also because they were created by Jewish artists. The Kunstmuseum recognized the artistic value and importance of these works. The acquisition included pieces by artists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Max Beckmann, and others who faced censorship and persecution under the Nazi regime. These works have been integrated into the Kunstmuseum’s collection and continue to be displayed, reflecting the museum’s unwavering commitment to preserving cultural heritage—regardless of the background of the artist—and acknowledging the history of artistic expression even under oppressive regimes.

The Kunstmuseum’s message is loud and clear that all art—regardless of time period, place of origin, artist background, or style—deserves to be equally uplifted and celebrated.

Written By: Ellie Hoffman