Origins and History of the Beyeler Foundation

The Beyeler Foundation was established in 1982 by Ernst Beyeler and Hilda Kunz. Ernst Beyeler was a Swiss art dealer and collector who sought to make his private holdings accessible to the public. The foundation oversees the art collection of both Hildy and Ernst Beyeler, ensuring the preservation and presentation of their acquired works. The institution is located in Riehen, near Basel, Switzerland.

The development of the foundation's permanent home involved several stages of planning and construction. Following a period of construction delays, the museum was inaugurated in 1997. The site is situated within the Berower Park, a setting that integrates the building into the surrounding landscape of Riehen.

The Modern and Traditional Art Collection

The collection comprises 400 works of classic modernism. It features significant contributions from Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent van Gogh. The holdings also include 23 Picassos, alongside works by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Francis Bacon. These pieces are presented alongside contemporary works by Louise Bourgeois, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Gerhard Richter.

Beyond European modernism, the foundation holds approximately 25 objects of tribal art from Africa, Oceania, and Alaska. This selection provides a specific counterpoint to the Western canon within the permanent collection. The arrangement of these works is intended to reflect the specific views held by Hildy and Ernst Beyeler regarding twentieth-century art.