The Kronenhalle art collection
In the 1940s, the style-conscious Gustav Zumsteg began giving artwork to the Kronenhalle from his collection. This means you can dine beneath a village scene by Marc Chagall, gaze at suns and moons by Joan Miró, take in the southern lights by Pierre Bonnard or wonder at the dramatic skies by Georges Braque.
Form and colour
The backbone of the collection is French modernism, and Gustav Zumsteg knew nearly all of its adherents. Their sensual treatment of form and colour sparked his enthusiasm. He subsequently began to collect Swiss artists, whose figurative style was often reminiscent of French role models. Later purchases also included pop art.
“Ceci n’est pas un musée”
At the opening of the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in 1964, André Malraux declared: “This is not a museum”, echoing René Magritte’s famous caption. The same goes for the Kronenhalle. Nevertheless, visitors can also obtain a guide listing the artworks and their location.
Souvenirs from artists
Not all works can be termed art per se: Alongside museum-quality paintings, guests will find souvenirs from artists who wished to personally thank the collector Gustav Zumsteg or the restaurateur Hulda Zumsteg with an original item.
Each painting has its home
As long as the Kronenhalle exists as a restaurant and bar, the paintings must not be removed from their locations, a condition that was set down in Gustav Zumsteg’s will. This is not just in keeping with the collector’s intentions; it also means that every guest will have a personal encounter with a piece of art history.