Gertrud Dübi-Müller (1888–1980) was one of Switzerland's most influential twentieth-century art collectors. Featuring around eighty artworks, photographs, and previously unpublished documents, the exhibition explores her remarkable life and cultural legacy. It also highlights her role as a patron and key figure within European modernism.
Financially independent from a young age, Dübi-Müller began collecting modern art while still very young, acquiring Vincent van Gogh's Portrait of Charles-Elzéard Trabuc before building a remarkable collection that included works by Paul Cézanne, Gustav Klimt, Henri Matisse, Ferdinand Hodler, and Giovanni Giacometti. She developed close friendships with many artists, especially Hodler, who portrayed her in seventeen paintings.
A passionate photographer, adventurous traveler, skilled driver, and accomplished mountaineer, she documented her travels across Europe and North Africa with her camera. Alongside masterpieces from her collection, the exhibition includes personal photographs, letters, and postcards that reveal her artistic circle. It celebrates Dübi-Müller's lasting contribution to modern art and her determination to challenge the social expectations placed on women of her time.
