Musee d'Art et d'Histoire, Geneva

Musee d'Art et d'Histoire, Geneva

The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (Museum of Art and History) is the largest art museum in Geneva, housing a rich collection of over 650,000 works of painting, sculptures, prints, furniture, textiles, musical instruments, historical and archaeological objects which trace the evolution of art, culture and lifestyle over several millennia.

The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (Museum of Art and History) is the largest art museum in Geneva, housing a rich collection of over 650,000 works of painting, sculptures, prints, furniture, textiles, musical instruments, historical and archaeological objects which trace the evolution of art, culture and lifestyle over several millennia. It is housed in an early 20th century building in Les Tranchées designed by Marc Camoletti, with the façade featuring allegorical sculptures by Paul Amlehn.

The Museum's fine arts section has one of the best collections in Switzerland, comprising paintings from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. With an emphasis on the works of Geneva, France (17th – 19th century), Italian (16th-18th century), and Dutch and Flemish (16th-17th century) schools, the museum covers the important points of Western art. From 'The Miraculous Draught of Fishes' (1444) by Konrad Witz through Mannerist and Impressionist works to modern art, the collection features international artists such as Rembrandt, Cézanne, Félix Vallotton, Modigliani, Picasso, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, and Rodin, as well as local artists Jean-Étienne Liotard, and Ferdinand Hodler. Paintings by contemporary Swiss artists such as Markus Raetz, Olivier Mosset and John M Armleder are also on display.

The MAH houses one of the largest collection of works on paper in Europe, with over 27,000 drawings and pastels, and 350,000 prints. It presents an overview of the history of printmaking from the 15th onwards, and drawing from the 18th century in Geneva.

The applied art section showcases Byzantine art, icons, weapons from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, silverware and tinware, musical instruments, watches, jewelry, enamels, tapestries, laces, and textiles. The increasing finesse and intricacies of the objects in the collection underlines the evolution of trade and technology over time. The museum also has a recreation of the complete interior furnishing and wood paneling from several rooms of the Lower Castle Zizers from the late 17th century.

The archaeological section has a great collection from prehistory and classical antiquity, including statues, sarcophagi, reliefs, inscriptions, ceramics, and objects of everyday life. It also has one of the largest numismatic cabinets in Switzerland, with over 100,000 coins, currencies and medals.

Entry is free for the permanent collections. Temporary exhibitions may cost anywhere between 5 to 20 CHF.