Passion for Art

As an art dealer, collector, and museum founder, Ernst Beyeler (1921-2010) was a key player in the international art world. Born in Basel (Switzerland), he took over an antiquarian bookshop as a young man and turned it into a gallery that quickly gained international recognition. He formed close relationships with some of the great 20th-century artists and was among the founders of Art Basel, the world's leading art fair. With his exceptional sense for art and artists and his skills as dealer and curator, he made Basel an international art centre. The Fondation Beyeler, the museum designed by Renzo Piano to house Beyeler's private collection and as a stage for highly acclaimed exhibitions, was opened near Basel in 1997. In A Passion for Art, Beyeler tells the story of his career and speaks about collectors and his encounters with the artists he exhibited, Picasso, Giacometti and Bacon in particular. He also talks about his own collection which includes works by some of the great masters of modernism, such as Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, Mondrian, Klee, Giacometti, Dubuffet and Bacon.