Gross Report on Bührle Collection Calls for Deeper Provenance Research; Talks Planned
The Facts
On July 10, 2024, the City and Canton of Zurich and the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft announced that historian Raphael Gross has completed an independent review of provenance research into the Bührle Collection at the Kunsthaus Zürich. The 167-page report, released at the end of June 2024, concludes that significant further research is needed, particularly regarding works that were in Jewish ownership before the Second World War. The Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft and the Foundation E. G. Bührle Collection, which owns the works, have agreed to discussions aimed at finding sustainable solutions. The collection has been on long-term loan in the Kunsthaus's Chipperfield building since October 2021, with the loan agreement running until the end of 2034.
The Signal
The review was commissioned following recommendations from a Round Table set up to prepare for the evaluation, and in response to a March 2023 subsidy agreement between the City of Zurich and the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft that bars exhibiting works confiscated as a result of Nazi persecution. While the Kunsthaus has been implementing a new provenance strategy since spring 2023, the Gross report finds that the Foundation E. G. Bührle Collection has not yet met those standards. The commissioning bodies now face complex challenges, including the Foundation's continued ownership of the works and the high cost and extended timeline of further research. The situation underscores the increasing pressure on European museums and private collections to resolve Nazi-era restitution claims transparently.
- People: Raphael Gross, Philipp Hildebrand
- Museums: Kunsthaus Zürich
- Locations: Zurich
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