Ernst Beyeler
Ernst Beyeler | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Basel, Switzerland |
| Died | February 25, 2010 (aged 88) |
| Occupation(s) | Art dealer, collector |
| Known for | Beyeler Foundation, modern art collection |
Ernst Beyeler (16 July 1921 – 25 February 2010) was a distinguished Swiss art dealer and collector, acclaimed by The New York Times as "Europe’s foremost dealer in modern art" and hailed by The Daily Telegraph as "the most significant art dealer since World War II." In 1982, together with his wife, he established the Beyeler Foundation to showcase his private collection, which was appraised at US$1.85 billion upon his passing.
Early life
Born in Basel, Switzerland, on 16 July 1921, Beyeler was the son of a Swiss railway worker. He pursued studies in art history and economics at the University of Basel.
Career
Although initially intending to follow a career in economics, Beyeler stayed in Switzerland throughout World War II and completed an apprenticeship with Oskar Schloss, an antiquarian bookseller based in Basel. Upon Schloss's death in 1945, Beyeler assumed control of the business at just 24 years old and redirected its focus towards art dealing, organizing his inaugural exhibition of Japanese woodcuts two years later.
A defining event occurred in the early 1960s when Beyeler acquired a collection of 340 artworks from American banker and collector G. David Thompson, featuring masterpieces by artists such as Georges Braque, Paul Cézanne, Paul Klee, Léger, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Mondrian. Among these were 70 pieces by Alberto Giacometti, which were subsequently allocated to Swiss institutions including the Kunsthaus Zürich and the Basel Kunstmuseum. This acquisition played a crucial role in elevating Beyeler's reputation and financial success.
Beyeler developed close ties with prominent twentieth-century artists, notably establishing a friendship with Picasso during the 1950s; in 1966, Picasso entrusted him to select 26 paintings for sale. His notable acquisitions included Willem de Kooning’s Police Gazette, purchased for US$180,000 in 1973, and Fernand Léger's Forms in Contrast, acquired for US$14.7 million in 1989. By the conclusion of his career, the estimated worth of his collection had reached CHF 2 billion (£1.21 billion).
In partnership with his wife Hilda "Hildy" Kunz, Beyeler founded the Beyeler Foundation in 1982 to make their collection accessible to the public.
Personal life
In 1948, Beyeler wed Hilda "Hildy" Kunz (1922–2008), whose surname has been mistakenly reported as "Kunst" by The Daily Telegraph.
Death
Ernst Beyeler passed away on 25 February 2010 at his residence near Basel. He did not have any children.
Posthumous tributes described him as "Europe's leading dealer in modern art" (The New York Times) and "the greatest art dealer since the war," credited with assembling one of the most remarkable collections of twentieth-century art worldwide (The Daily Telegraph).