Convulsive beauty: from Max Ernst to Balthus

Max Ernst, Balthus, Masson, Magritte: these are some of the great names that make up one of the most spectacular – and most secret – collections of the 20th century, currently on display at the Fondation Beyeler. In 1921, at the age of 17, Claude Hersaint bought his first painting – a Max Ernst, in the gallery Au Sans Pareil, with a hint of Dadaism alongside the Surrealism. He continued to enrich his collection until his death, in 1993, with paintings that became increasingly imaginative over time. What was the historical context informing his choices? What were his criteria? What is the underlying theme connecting these seemingly diverse paintings? This is what Robert Kopp, Professor Emeritus at the University of Basel, and Didier Ottinger, General Curator of Heritage and Deputy Director of the Centre Pompidou, will attempt to explain using a few select examples.

In partnership with the Alliance Française and the Société d’Etudes Françaises de Bâle (Basel Society for French Studies).