{"id":117198,"date":"2026-08-19T02:26:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T02:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/117198\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T02:26:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T02:26:18","slug":"van-gogh-hodler-and-a-cabriolet-basel-hosts-the-first-major-exhibition-dedicated-to-gertrud-dubi-muller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/117198\/","title":{"rendered":"Van Gogh, Hodler, and a Cabriolet: Basel Hosts the First Major Exhibition Dedicated to Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Redazione <\/a>, published on 18\/08\/2026
Categories:<\/p>\n


\n Exhibitions <\/a><\/p>\n

\/ Disclaimer<\/a> <\/p>\n

From September 19, 2026, to February 7, 2027, the Kunstmuseum Basel will showcase the life of Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller, a collector, photographer, driver, and mountaineer. Approximately eighty works, photographs, and previously unpublished documents trace her role in the history of modern art and European culture.<\/p>\n

From September 19, 2026, to February 7, 2027, the Kunstmuseum Basel | Neubau presents *Van Gogh, Hodler, and a Cabriolet: Collector and Pioneer Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller*, the first major exhibition dedicated to one of Switzerland\u2019s most important art collectors. Curated by G\u00e9raldine Meyer, the exhibition brings together some eighty works from her international collection, along with photographs, letters, and previously unpublished documents, to offer a personal and in-depth portrait of this still relatively little-known figure.<\/p>\n

Born in Solothurn in 1888, Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller was much more than a collector. Passionate about photography, automobiles, and mountaineering, she mingled with artists and leading figures in European culture. D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller became involved in the art world at a young age, when she began studying painting with the Swiss artist Cuno Amiet. Orphaned as a child, she soon achieved financial independence, which allowed her to pursue her passions on her own terms. Shortly after coming of age, she purchased Vincent van Gogh\u2019s *Portrait of Charles-Elz\u00e9ard Trabuc* (1889), thus launching a collection that would go on to become one of the most fascinating private collections of modern art. Over the years, the collection grew to include works by Paul C\u00e9zanne, Giovanni Giacometti, Ferdinand Hodler, Gustav Klimt, and Henri Matisse, alongside those of numerous other Swiss and international artists.<\/p>\n

His career as a collector developed in parallel with a close-knit network of personal relationships with the artists. Among his most important friendships were those with Alice Bailly, Giovanni Giacometti, and Ferdinand Hodler.<\/p>\n

Her relationship with Ferdinand Hodler was particularly close; he painted her portrait on no fewer than seventeen occasions. Among the paintings for which the collector posed is *View of the Infinite* (1913\/14\u20131916), a large canvas now in the collections of the Kunstmuseum Basel. The bond between the two is also evident in their correspondence. In one letter, Hodler wrote to her in an affectionate yet concerned tone regarding her car trips, urging her to drive cautiously and not to take risks.<\/p>\n

The exhibition in Basel aims to explore not only D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller\u2019s role as a collectorbut also her role within the network of relationships that linked artists, intellectuals, and leading figures of European culture between the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.<\/p>\n

Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller\u2019s passion for photography is another key aspect of her life story. With her camera, she documented the daily lives of her artist friends, as well as her own experiences and adventures. The images depict journeys across Europe and North Africa, airship flights, and numerous extraordinary experiences. A particularly significant chapter revolves aroundthe automobile: D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller drove a Piccard-Pictet, a Swiss-made car, which may have been the first vehicle of its kind to travel in the canton of Solothurn. By car, she traveled to some of Europe\u2019s major art and cultural capitals, including Berlin, Paris, Rome, and Vienna, and also tackled Switzerland\u2019s Alpine routes. This extraordinary freedom of movement was complemented by her passion for mountaineering. Among her achievements was the ascent of the Matterhorn, an endeavor that attests to the independent and determined character of a woman who, for her time, stood out for her decidedly unconventional lifestyle.<\/p>\n

As early as about a century ago, the collection of Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller and her brother Josef M\u00fcller had already attracted the attention of Basel\u2019s cultural circles. Wilhelm Barth (1869\u20131939), director of the Kunsthalle Basel from 1909 to 1934, in fact attempted several times to organize an exhibition of the collection, but was unable to bring the project to fruition.<\/p>\n

\"Gertrud
\nGertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller in her Pic-Pic car, around 1911. Courtesy of Fotostiftung Schweiz, Winterthur. Photo: Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller (circle of friends) <\/p>\n

\"Ferdinand
\nFerdinand Hodler, Portrait of Gertrud M\u00fcller in the Greenery. Courtesy of Kunstmuseum Solothurn, D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller Foundation. Photo: David Aebi, Bern\/Burgdorf <\/p>\n

\"Ferdinand
\nFerdinand Hodler paints Gertrud M\u00fcller, Geneva. Courtesy of the Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller Archive \/ Swiss Foundation for Photography <\/p>\n

Today, many decades later, the Kunstmuseum Basel is making that exhibition a reality with a show that aims to give D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller the place she deserves in art history\u2014not only in the canton of Solothurn, but throughout Switzerland and within the broader landscape of European modernism. The exhibition brings together works by internationally renowned artists, including Vincent van Gogh, Paul C\u00e9zanne, and Gustav Klimt, alongside works by leading figures in Swiss art such as Cuno Amiet, Alice Bailly, Giovanni Giacometti, and Ferdinand Hodler. In addition to the works currently held at the Kunstmuseum Solothurn, the exhibition features loans from other Swiss museums and private collections, including pieces that once belonged to D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller\u2019s collection. The documentary heritage also plays a central role. Photographs taken by the collector herself and those depicting her, along with unpublished letters and hand-painted postcards sent by artists and cultural figures, allow us to reconstruct the extensive network of relationships that D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller was able to forge throughout her life.<\/p>\n

In 1964, Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller and her husband established the D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller Foundation with the aim of preserving the collection in its current form and making it accessible to the public. The foundation comprised 190 works. Five years later, in 1969, her brother Josef M\u00fcller in turn established the Josef M\u00fcller Foundation, consisting of 55 works. Subsequently, both foundations and their respective collections were merged into the Kunstmuseum Solothurn, where the core of Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller\u2019s collection remains on view to this day.<\/p>\n

\"Cuno
\nCuno Amiet, The Yellow Hill \u00a9 The artist\u2019s estate. Courtesy of the Kunstmuseum Solothurn, D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller Foundation. Photo: David Aebi, Bern\/Burgdorf <\/p>\n

\"Henri
\nHenri Matisse, Laurette with a Cup of Coffee. Courtesy of the Solothurn Art Museum, D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller Foundation. Photo: Solothurn Art Museum <\/p>\n

\"Vincent
\nVincent van Gogh, Portrait of Charles-Elz\u00e9ard Trabuc. Courtesy of the Kunstmuseum Solothurn, D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller Foundation. Photo: Kunstmuseum Solothurn <\/p>\n

\"Gustav
\nGustav Klimt, Goldfish (To My Critics). Courtesy of the Kunstmuseum Solothurn, D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller Foundation. Photo: Kunstmuseum Solothurn <\/p>\n

The exhibition in Basel is the result of close collaboration with the Kunstmuseum Solothurn and is enriched by numerous loans from the Fotostiftung Schweiz, an institution dedicated to preserving and promoting the collector\u2019s photographic legacy. The exhibition thus aims to convey the complexity of an independent woman with a passion for art, photography, travel, automobiles, and mountaineering\u2014but above all, a collection that offers a unique insight into the evolution of modern European art.<\/p>\n

\"VanVan Gogh, Hodler, and a Cabriolet: Basel Hosts the First Major Exhibition Dedicated to Gertrud D\u00fcbi-M\u00fcller
\n\t\t\t\"Le
\n\t\t\t<\/a> <\/p>\n

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools.
\n We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can
\n find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by Redazione , published on 18\/08\/2026 Categories: Exhibitions \/ Disclaimer From September 19, 2026, to February 7, 2027,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":117199,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[8],"tags":[22391,77,27026,56993],"class_list":["post-117198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basel","tag-arte-moderna","tag-basel","tag-basilea","tag-pittura"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/117119810644027417","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117198"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117198\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}