Winterthur’s art treasures in a new arrangement

The villa of the art patron Oskar Reinhart (1885–1965) is idyllically situated in a park on the outskirts of Winterthur. It houses over 200 paintings, drawings and sculptures of European art and is considered one of the most significant private collections of the 20th century. In 1958, Reinhart bequeathed the collection to the Swiss Confederation in his will.

New combinations of works – new interpretations.

Following mainly technical renovation work and the installation of a new flexible hanging system, the museum has been open to the public again since May this year and is presenting its exhibits in a new arrangement.

The core of the collection consists of works by the French Impressionists and their precursors, supplemented by earlier creative periods. Larger groups of works are devoted to Renoir, Cézanne, Daumier and Courbet, alongside Old Masters such as Cranach, Rubens, Rembrandt and El Greco. The interplay between these eras creates a dynamic that lends the collection a particular vibrancy. Each work is a snapshot of European painting history.

The Grand Gallery forms the heart of the collection. The tall rows of windows running up to the ceiling ensure even lighting. Here, the works engage in dialogue, refer to one another and interact. Thus, Claude Monet’s winter scene ‘The Seine at Ice Break-up’ encounters the silent expressions of the café-goers in Édouard Manet’s ‘Au Café’. And yet a peculiar harmony unites the two paintings. The meditative stillness of the icy landscape, reminiscent of the Water Lilies paintings, is echoed in the muted tones of the café-goers. In this way, a subtle shared tone emerges beyond the actual subjects of the paintings.

El Greco’s ‘Portrait of the Cardinal’ captivates in the powerful way that has made the painting famous. With his alert gaze, the cardinal seems to be watching over the entire hall. What makes this painting so special is its psychological intensity: behind the round, striking spectacles – which themselves appear like a frame within a frame – the cardinal as a person almost recedes into the background. It is his gaze alone that speaks and moves the viewer. In contrast to this is Picasso’s ‘Portrait of Mateu Fernández de Soto’: The sculptor portrayed appears completely absorbed in his own world and work, and exudes a melancholic mood. Time and again, it is artistic touches such as these in the exhibition layout that offer visitors innovative interpretations of familiar works. The new hanging system offers curators particular flexibility to change the arrangement of the works with ease. It is modelled on the historical design using wire ropes and protects the wall covering, as no holes are required.

Van Gogh’s Inner Life

From the spacious Great Gallery, the route leads into the smaller West Hall. Here, visitors encounter more intimate subjects in a personal atmosphere, such as Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Courtyard of the Hospital in Arles’: following the famous ear incident and his falling-out with Gauguin, van Gogh was treated at this hospital. The painting depicts a square garden with a fountain, surrounded by arcades, in vibrant colours, giving the impression of a monastery. The enchanted vegetation seems to mirror van Gogh’s inner turmoil and inner conflict.