Kunstmuseum Basel

Kunstmuseum Basel is Switzerland’s oldest public art museum and one of the most important fine art institutions in Europe. Located in Basel, it traces its origins to 1661, when the city acquired the Amerbach Cabinet, making it the world’s first municipal art collection open to the public.

The museum holds an exceptional collection spanning from the late Middle Ages to contemporary art. It is especially renowned for its holdings of Holbein the Younger, as well as major works by Konrad Witz, Grünewald, and Böcklin. The modern and contemporary collection includes key pieces by Picasso, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Monet, Matisse, Klee, Giacometti, Rothko, and Warhol. Picasso’s close relationship with Basel gives the museum particular international significance.

Architecturally, the Kunstmuseum consists of several buildings, including the main building (1936) and the contemporary Kunstmuseum Basel | Neubau, designed by Christ & Gantenbein and opened in 2016, which houses modern and contemporary works.

The museum is known for its scholarly rigor, high-quality temporary exhibitions, and its role as a cornerstone of Basel’s identity as a global art city, closely connected to events like Art Basel.