Digitized special collections
The Kunsthaus Zürich publishes selected parts of its collections online. The digital reproduction of objects is a work in progress. Fragile and rare pieces which are difficult to access as original object or not available elsewhere are published first. Up to now items from the library, the archive and from the department of prints and drawings are shown.
The Business Correspondence of Sigismund Righini (1870-1937)Sigismund Righini (1870-1937) was an important painter and major player in the art world of his time. He belonged to the generation of painters around Cuno Amiet and Giovanni Giacometti, who were among the pioneers of Swiss modernism in succession to Ferdinand Hodler. In his function as a member of various artists' organisations, as an exhibition organiser, juror and art surveyor, he was considered one of the most influential men in the Swiss art scene of the 1920s and 1930s. A close collaboration linked him to the Kunsthaus Zürich. From 1899 he was a member of the exhibition commission of the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft and its president from 1918 to 1937. From 1909-1937 he was also on the board of the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft. In this capacity, Righini curated numerous exhibitions at the Kunsthaus Zürich and, together with the director Wilhelm Wartmann, had a decisive influence on the profile of the museum. |
 Sigismund Righini: Self-portrait in the studio, 1914 Oil on cardboard. Photo: Reto Pedrini © Righini-Fries Foundation Zurich |
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His multitude of functions and lobbying activities brought Righini into contact with numerous notable personalities of his time. His entire business correspondence from 1900 until his death in 1937 has been preserved in 16 volumes of letter copy books. The completely preserved letter copy books, were digitalised in cooperation with the Righini Fries Foundation and are made publicly accessible for the first time. They form a significant testimony to Righini's extensive network. His correspondents included artists in Switzerland and abroad, but also politicians up to the Federal Council. |
 Sigismund Righini in front of his painting "The Oranges", c. 1912 Photo by Unknown © Righini-Fries Foundation Zurich |
Rudolf Koller’s Sketchbooks |
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Rudolf Koller (1828–1905) is known as an important Swiss animal painter and creator of the «Gotthardpost». In the Department of Prints and Drawings of the Kunsthaus Zürich we preserve a rarely shown treasure from the artist’s estate: 67 sketchbooks, which show his rich graphic work and also provide insight into the genesis of his most famous paintings. As the result of a two-year project to digitize and restore these holdings, we are now making the sketchbooks digitally accessible for the first time; they will be published here on an ongoing basis. Wherever possible, we also include those pages that were once detached from the sketchbooks and can thus digitally reconstruct the original unity of the books. Supported by the Fehlmann Family Foundation |
While browsing, you have discovered an unidentified study for a painting, a copy based on another work or an exciting correlation? Send us an email! Contact: grafischesammlung@kunsthaus.ch |
Letterpress copybooks Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft / Kunsthaus Zürich 1933-1945Wilhelm Wartmann (1882-1970), the first director of the Kunsthaus Zürich, was in office from 1909 until the end of 1949. The extensive administrative files from his term of office have been passed down fairly completely to this day. The letterpress copybooks contain all outgoing letters from the Kunsthaus. With their alphabetical recipient indexes, they provide excellent access to the entire archive and make all processes relatively easy to find. In the 63 volumes from the period from 1933 to 1945, published here for the first time, detailed information on exhibitions, purchases, loan transactions, deposits, sales, import and export transactions and much more are documented. This information is not accessible anywhere else. The letterpress copybooks are subdivided into two series: «Exhibitions» and «General correspondence». Within the two series, the letters are filed chronologically so that one can simply browse through a period. Since the recipient registers have been transcribed, it is possible to search for names of persons and corporations. However, the historical entries in the register are not always complete. Starting with «Exhibition», the volumes will be successively published here as part of a project funded by the Federal Office for Culture. |
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Collection dadaismWith about 720 historical documents and works of art the Kunsthaus Zürich keeps one of the worlds largest Dada collections: paintings, sculptures, photographs, works on paper, letters, books, journals, leaflets, posters and manuscripts. Within the framework of the project «Dada digital» most of the historical documents and works of art on paper have already been scanned. More than 480 items are online available. More information about the collection dadaism and the project «Dada Digital» |
 Cabaret Voltaire : recueil littéraire et artistique. Zürich, 1916 |
Artist lettersDr. Wilhelm Wartmann (1882-1970) was head of the Kunsthaus Zürich between 1909 and 1949. From his forty years in office, more than 15000 letters are preserved in the archive of the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft and the Kunsthaus Zürich, which were written by artists and frequently addressed directly to Dr. Wartmann. Within the framework of the project «Artists letters» these letters were first repacked unfolded and individually and then catalogued. More than 13500 letters can be found in the library catalogue. 5400 selected letters have been digitized and are made publicly available here for the first time. As the project proceeds more and more letters will become available on this site. |
 Letter by Edvard Munch to Wilhelm Wartmann dated June 3, 931 |
Exhibition cataloguesSince the first exhibition of the Künstlergesellschaft Zürich on May 5th, 1801 until the end of 1949 when Wilhelm Wartmann, the first director of the Kunsthaus Zürich, retired, more than 700 exhibition catalogues have been published. This continuous row of publications documents the main activity of the Kunsthaus, exhibiting works of art, and shows also, how the institution itself has evolved over the years. Today most of these old catalogues have become very rare or can even only be found at the library of the Kunsthaus. However by digitizing them and publishing the reproductions online they become easily accessible for all. Furthermore now it is also possible to search the full text of all catalogues online. |
 Verzeichniss der Kunstwerke, die den 5. Mai 1801 auf Veranstaltung der Künstler-Gesellschaft in Zürich, öffentlich ausgestellt worden |
Annual reportsFor all historical research on the Kunsthaus Zürich, the annual reports of the Künstler-Gesellschaft Zürich, the Zürcherischer Kunstverein, the Künstlerhaus Zürich, the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft and the Kunsthaus Zürich from 1885 onwards provide a reliable starting point. These official reports record all activities, events, persons and bodies that were relevant in the respective reporting year. In addition, the annual accounts and the list of newly acquired works of art are included in each issue. With the digitization of these reports, a full-text search in the text of all issues is possible for the first time. |
 Jahresbericht 1910 / Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft |
