Rupf Collection «Cubism in the Corridor»

The Rupf Collection is seen today as one of the most important Swiss collections, with its main emphasis in the area of the Classical Modern. In 1907/1908, the Bernese merchant Rupf purchased works by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso which can now be considered the incunabula of Cubism. Hermann Rupf (1880-1962) was intensely occupied with the art of his time, often bought works in the same year they were created and was very active in disseminating and sharing information about contemporary art. The exhibition on the occasion of the 50-year anniversary of the    creation of the Hermann and Margrit Rupf foundation in the Museum of Fine Arts Bern offers a view of the superlative collection with important groups of works by, among others, the Fauves (Derain, Friesz), the Cubists (Braque, Picasso, Gris and Léger) as well works by Klee and Kandinsky. At the same time, the collection reflects the predilections of a private collector who had friendly relations for most of his life with the Parisian art dealer and gallery owner Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler. Purchases by the Rupf Foundation, which complement the works acquired earlier or illustrate their connection to the contemporary art scene, are also shown.