Unternavigation

Visual treasures

The Prints and Drawings Department holds remarkable visual objects of many kinds: historical and contemporary prints, drawings and photographs, posters, images of historic monuments and works of art. In “Visual treasures”, members of staff from the Department present some striking discoveries and invite you to explore rarely seen or hitherto unknown marvels.

“The Jungfrau with a Japanese twist”: Hiroshi Yoshida's views of Switzerland

Hiroshi Yoshida's view of the Jungfrau mountain fuses Japanese and European traditions of landscape depiction.

Helvetia – personification of Switzerland and mother of the nation

Discover the many different representations of Helvetia from the Scheidegger collection. These depictions were particularly widespread after the federal state was founded, 175 years ago.

Gerstner Original: Who's the rightful owner of this Swiss typeface?

Karl Gerstner’s typographic designs form a central part of his work, but there are open questions concerning the copyright.

“Switzerland – an immense Kursaal”

The spirit of the Belle Époque on paper: Paul Bouvier’s impressive original plans for the Kursaal Interlaken give an insight into leisure architecture circa 1900.

Two broad-shouldered boxers juxtaposed to nine slender women

In 2002, the year she made her nine “Donne di Venezia”, Ticino native Fiorenza Bassetti produced her two images, both entitled “Pugile”. A juxtaposition.

Save the Greina! Bryan Thurston‘s political and artistic engagement

Through his artistic work and political activism, artist and architect Bryan Cyril Thurston played a major role in the Greina plateau obtaining protected status in 1996.

From fluorescent seas of fog to the tiniest snow crystals

Discover Andreas Züst’s photographs of seas of fog, the wonders of the skies and tiny snow and ice structures.

L’Ultima Cena: a “sweet” farewell for Nouveau Réalisme

In 1970, Daniel Spoerri serves up a lavish last supper for the “Nouveaux Réalistes” group of artists, with dishes reflecting their art of the preceding decade.

The eternal standard-bearer

Ernst Linck was a leading light of the Bern art scene but as his works steadily disappear, his name is being forgotten.

Doris Stauffer’s swimming trunks campaign for women’s rights

Doris Stauffer was artistically, educationally and politically involved in the women’s rights movement, and leaves behind an extensive and eclectic archive.