Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (Geneva)
Encyclopedia
The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (Museum of Art and History) is the largest art museum in Geneva
, Switzerland
.
ring. It was built by the architect Marc Camoletti between 1903 and 1910, and financed by a bequest from the banker Charles Galland (1816–1901). The building is square, with 60 m (200 ft) sides surrounding an inner courtyard. It has four storeys, with roof lantern
s on the top floor, and a total exhibition space of 7,000 m² (75,000 square feet).
The façade is decorated with sculptures by Paul Amlehn: an allegory
of the arts, depicting painting, sculpture, drawing and architecture, is mounted on the triangular gable above the entrance, and two more allegories, of archaeology and applied art, can be seen in the left- and right-hand corners of the building respectively. The upper frieze
includes the names of Genevan artists: Dassier, Baud-Bovy
, Saint-Ours
, Agasse
, Töpffer
, Liotard
, Calame
, Diday
, Menn
, Petitot
, Arlaud
and Pradier
.
. The Musée Académique, whose exhibits covered natural history
and archaeology
, had also been recently founded (in 1818). The Musée des Beaux-Arts was acquired by the city of Geneva in 1851, which also received the State of Geneva's weapons collection and historical artefacts in 1870.
In the second half of the 19th century these various collections were enlarged through donations, making new exhibition rooms necessary. In 1897 the Société Auxiliaire du Musée de Genève was founded with the aim of creating a new museum. In 1900 the city of Geneva held an architecture competition to design a new building. The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire was finally built from 1903 to 1910 thanks to the bequest from Charles Galland. However, parts of the collection soon had to be sent out to new museums due to a lack of space.
The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire heads the association for all art and historical museums in the city of Geneva, the Musées d'Art et d'Histoire. The other museums in this group are the Cabinet des Estampes (graphics), the Musée Ariana
(porcelain
), the Musée Rath
(special exhibitions), the Maison Tavel (history of Geneva), and the Musée de l'Horlogerie et de l'Émaillerie (timepieces and enamels
). The group also includes an art restoration studio, research laboratories, and an art and archaeology library with 400,000 books.
, contained in Witz's St. Peter Altarpiece
. Other major artists include Rembrandt, Cézanne
, Modigliani
, and the sculptor Rodin
. The museum also has numerous works by Jean-Étienne Liotard
, Ferdinand Hodler
, Félix Vallotton
and Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot.
The applied art
section has collections of Byzantine art
, icon
s, weapons from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, silverware and tinware, musical instruments and textiles. The complete interior furnishing and wood panelling from several rooms of the Lower Castle Zizers
(late 17th century) have been built into the museum.
The archaeology section displays findings from European prehistory, ancient Egypt (with a mummy
from the 9th century BC), the Kerma
culture of Sudan, the Near East, ancient Greece, and Roman and pre-Roman Italy, as well as a numismatic
cabinet.
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
The building
The museum is located in Les Tranchées, in the city centre, on the site of the former fortificationFortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
ring. It was built by the architect Marc Camoletti between 1903 and 1910, and financed by a bequest from the banker Charles Galland (1816–1901). The building is square, with 60 m (200 ft) sides surrounding an inner courtyard. It has four storeys, with roof lantern
Roof lantern
A roof lantern is a daylighting cupola architectural element. Architectural lanterns are atop a larger roof and provide natural light into the space or room below. In contemporary use it is an architectural skylight structure...
s on the top floor, and a total exhibition space of 7,000 m² (75,000 square feet).
The façade is decorated with sculptures by Paul Amlehn: an allegory
Allegorical sculpture
Allegorical sculpture refers to sculptures that symbolize and particularly personify abstract ideas as in allegory.Common in the western world, for example, are statues of 'Justice', a female figure traditionally holding scales in one hand, as a symbol of her weighing issues and arguments, and a...
of the arts, depicting painting, sculpture, drawing and architecture, is mounted on the triangular gable above the entrance, and two more allegories, of archaeology and applied art, can be seen in the left- and right-hand corners of the building respectively. The upper frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
includes the names of Genevan artists: Dassier, Baud-Bovy
Auguste Baud-Bovy
Auguste Baud-Bovy was a Swiss painter.-References:...
, Saint-Ours
Jean-Pierre Saint-Ours
Jean-Pierre Saint-Ours was a Swiss painter.Jean-Pierre was born in Geneva, Switzerland. He began studying with his father Jacques who was himself a renowned painter. He continued his studies in Paris, in 1769, with Joseph-Marie Vien...
, Agasse
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Jacques-Laurent Agasse was an animal and landscape painter from Switzerland.Born at Geneva, Agasse studied in the public art school of that city. Before he turned twenty he went to Paris to study in veterinary school to make himself fully acquainted with the anatomy of horses and other animals...
, Töpffer
Rodolphe Töpffer
Rodolphe Töpffer was a Swiss teacher, author, painter, cartoonist, and caricature artist. He is also considered to be the first modern comic creator.- Biography :...
, Liotard
Jean-Étienne Liotard
Jean-Étienne Liotard was a Swiss-French painter. His father was a jeweller who fled to Switzerland after 1685....
, Calame
Alexandre Calame
Alexandre Calame was a Swiss painter.He was born in Arabie! at the time belonging to Corsier-sur-Vevey, today a part of Vevey. He was the son of a skillful marble worker in Vevey, but because his father lost the family fortune, Calame could not concentrate on art, but rather he was forced to...
, Diday
François Diday
François Diday , a Swiss landscape painter, was born at Geneva. He studied in Paris and travelled in Italy, but chiefly lived in his native country. He, however, frequently exhibited in the Paris Salon, where he obtained medals in 1840 and 1841. He died in 1877, at Geneva, to which city he...
, Menn
Barthélemy Menn
Barthélemy Menn was a Swiss painter and draughtsman who introduced the principles of plein-air painting and the paysage intime into Swiss art.-Early life:...
, Petitot
Jean Petitot
Jean Petitot was a French-Swiss enamel painter.-Life:He was born at Geneva, a member of a Burgundian family which had fled from France on account of religious difficulties. His father, Faulle, was a wood carver. Jean was the fourth son, and was apprenticed to a jeweller goldsmith named Pierre...
, Arlaud
Jacques-Antoine Arlaud
Jacques Antoine Arlaud was born at Geneva in 1668. His first employment in art was the painting of small ornamental miniatures for the jewellers at Dijon. He however attempted some portraits, and was sufficiently successful to encourage him to settle at Paris, when he was about twenty years of age...
and Pradier
James Pradier
James Pradier, also known as Jean-Jacques Pradier was a Swiss-born French sculptor best known for his work in the neoclassical style.-Life and work:...
.
The museum
The museum as an institution dates back to 1826 and the Musée des Beaux-Arts, which opened in what is now the Musée RathMusée Rath
The Musée Rath is an art museum in Geneva, used exclusively for temporary exhibitions. It is the oldest purpose-built art museum in Switzerland....
. The Musée Académique, whose exhibits covered natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, had also been recently founded (in 1818). The Musée des Beaux-Arts was acquired by the city of Geneva in 1851, which also received the State of Geneva's weapons collection and historical artefacts in 1870.
In the second half of the 19th century these various collections were enlarged through donations, making new exhibition rooms necessary. In 1897 the Société Auxiliaire du Musée de Genève was founded with the aim of creating a new museum. In 1900 the city of Geneva held an architecture competition to design a new building. The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire was finally built from 1903 to 1910 thanks to the bequest from Charles Galland. However, parts of the collection soon had to be sent out to new museums due to a lack of space.
The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire heads the association for all art and historical museums in the city of Geneva, the Musées d'Art et d'Histoire. The other museums in this group are the Cabinet des Estampes (graphics), the Musée Ariana
Musée Ariana
The Musée Ariana, also known as the Musée suisse de la céramique et du verre , is a museum in Geneva, Switzerland...
(porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
), the Musée Rath
Musée Rath
The Musée Rath is an art museum in Geneva, used exclusively for temporary exhibitions. It is the oldest purpose-built art museum in Switzerland....
(special exhibitions), the Maison Tavel (history of Geneva), and the Musée de l'Horlogerie et de l'Émaillerie (timepieces and enamels
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
). The group also includes an art restoration studio, research laboratories, and an art and archaeology library with 400,000 books.
Collections
The fine art section has paintings from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, with works by the Italian, Dutch, French, English, Genevan and Swiss Schools. The best-known painting is The Miraculous Draught of Fishes (1444) by Konrad WitzKonrad Witz
Konrad Witz - c. Winter 1445/Spring 1446 in Basel, Switzerland) was a German painter, active mainly in Basel, Switzerland.Witz is most famous for painting three altarpieces, all of which survive only partially...
, contained in Witz's St. Peter Altarpiece
St. Pierre Cathedral
The St. Pierre Cathedral is a cathedral in Geneva, Switzerland, today belonging to the Swiss Reformed Church. It was begun under Arducius de Faucigny, the prince-bishop of the Diocese of Geneva, in the 12th century, and includes an eclectic mix of styles. It is best known as the adopted home church...
. Other major artists include Rembrandt, Cézanne
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cézanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th...
, Modigliani
Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. Primarily a figurative artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a modern style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form...
, and the sculptor Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
. The museum also has numerous works by Jean-Étienne Liotard
Jean-Étienne Liotard
Jean-Étienne Liotard was a Swiss-French painter. His father was a jeweller who fled to Switzerland after 1685....
, Ferdinand Hodler
Ferdinand Hodler
Ferdinand Hodler was one of the best-known Swiss painters of the 19th century.-Life:Hodler was born in Berne, the eldest of six children. His father, Jean Hodler, made a meager living as a carpenter; his mother, Marguerite , was from a peasant family...
, Félix Vallotton
Félix Vallotton
Félix Edouard Vallotton was a Swiss painter and printmaker associated with Les Nabis. He was an important figure in the development of the modern woodcut.-Life and work:...
and Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot.
The applied art
Applied art
Applied art is the application of design and aesthetics to objects of function and everyday use. Whereas fine arts serve as intellectual stimulation to the viewer or academic sensibilities, the applied arts incorporate design and creative ideals to objects of utility, such as a cup, magazine or...
section has collections of Byzantine art
Byzantine art
Byzantine art is the term commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 5th century until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453....
, icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
s, weapons from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, silverware and tinware, musical instruments and textiles. The complete interior furnishing and wood panelling from several rooms of the Lower Castle Zizers
Zizers
Zizers is a municipality in the district of Landquart in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Zita of Bourbon-Parma, Empress of Austria-Hungary died in Zizers.-Geography:...
(late 17th century) have been built into the museum.
The archaeology section displays findings from European prehistory, ancient Egypt (with a mummy
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
from the 9th century BC), the Kerma
Kerma
Kerma was the capital city of the Kingdom of Kerma, which was located in present day Egypt and Sudan. The Kerma site has been confirmed by archaeology to be at least 9,500 years old. Around 3000 BC, a cultural tradition began around Kerma...
culture of Sudan, the Near East, ancient Greece, and Roman and pre-Roman Italy, as well as a numismatic
Numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the...
cabinet.
External links
- Home page (partly available in English)