Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (Geneva)

The Musée d' art et d' histoire is the largest art museum in Geneva and one of the most important in Switzerland.

Building

The museum is located in the Tranchées district on the former mounting ring east of the old town. The building was built by architect Marc Camoletti 1903-1910. The construction was funded with a bequest from the banker Charles Galland ( 1816-1901 ). It has a square base of 60 meters on each side around a courtyard. On four floors, with a skylight rooms on the top floor it offers 7,000 m² of exhibition space.

The main facade is adorned with sculptures of Paul Amlehn. Before the triangular pediment above the entrance there is an allegory of the arts of painting, sculpture, drawing and architecture. On the left corner of the building is an allegory of archeology, at the right corner is an allegory of arts and crafts. In the upper frieze are the names of the Geneva artists: Dassier, Baud -Bovy, Saint -Ours, Agasse, Töpffer, Liotard, Calame, Diday, Menn, Petitot, Arlaud and Pradier.

Museum

The museum as an institution goes back to the Musée des Beaux -Arts, which opened in 1826 in the building of the present Musée Rath. A few years ago, the Musée Académique in 1818 also founded, which had besides natural history exhibits, archaeological objects. The Musée des Beaux -Arts was in 1851 in the possession of the city of Geneva on. This was also in 1870 by the State of Geneva, the weapons collection and historical objects.

These various collections were enlarged in the second half of the 19th century through donations, so that new showrooms were necessary. 1897, the Société du Musée de Genève auxiliaire was established that actively campaigned for a new museum. 1900 organized by the City of Geneva an architectural competition for a new building. From 1903 to 1910, the Musée d' art et d' histoire was built thanks to the legacy of Charles Galland. Soon, however, had to be outsourced due to lack of space parts of the collections in new museums.

The Musée d' art et d' histoire directs the association of art and history museums in the city of Geneva, the Musées d' art et d' histoire. For this next to the Musée d' art et d' histoire also includes the Cabinet des Estampes ( Drawing Room ), the Musée Ariana (ceramics and glass), the Musée Rath ( exhibitions), the Maison Tavel ( History of the City of Geneva ) and the Musée de l' horlogerie et de l' Emaillerie ( watches and enamel museum). In addition, a restoration workshop, research laboratories, and an art and archeology library with 400,000 books.

Collections

The archeology department displays finds from European history, from ancient Egypt, of the Kerma culture ( Sudan), from the Middle East, from ancient Greece, of Italy before Rome and the Roman Empire, as well as a Numismatic Cabinet.

The Department of Applied Arts collections of Byzantine art, icons, weapons from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, silver and Zinnzeug, musical instruments and textiles. The complete interior and wooden wall panels of several rooms of the Lower Castle of Zizers ( late 17th century ) was installed in the museum.

The Department of Fine Arts presents paintings from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, with works of the Italian, Dutch, French, English, Geneva and Swiss schools. The most famous of which is the left wing of the main altar of St. Peter's cathedral in Geneva with the Miraculous Draught of Fishes, which was painted in 1444 by Konrad Witz. The museum houses numerous works by Jean- Étienne Liotard, Ferdinand Hodler, Félix Vallotton and Jean -Baptiste Camille Corot