Sammlung Rosengart

About the museum

The collection goes back to the Rosengart family of art dealers: Siegfried Rosengart and later his daughter Angela ran a gallery in Lucerne, from whose stock they kept works that had become especially dear to them. Angela Rosengart was friends with several artists of Classical Modernism, above all Pablo Picasso, who portrayed her five times. In 1978 the family gave the City of Lucerne eight Picasso works for its 800th anniversary, laying the foundation for the Lucerne Picasso Museum, which they expanded in the following years.

In 1992 Angela Rosengart founded the Rosengart Foundation, intended to preserve the art collection and keep it permanently accessible to the public in Lucerne. In 2000 the foundation acquired the neoclassical building on Pilatusstrasse, built in 1924 for the Swiss National Bank, which the Basel architect Roger Diener carefully converted into a museum. The Sammlung Rosengart museum opened in spring 2002; the earlier Picasso holdings have been integrated there since 2008.

The tour covers three floors: on the lower level the museum shows 125 watercolours, drawings and paintings by Paul Klee from all phases of his career, the ground floor is devoted chronologically to Picasso’s paintings from 1938 to 1969, and the upper floor brings together Picasso’s drawings and prints, his portraits of Angela Rosengart and works by more than 20 other artists such as Matisse, Chagall, Cézanne and Pissarro.

Highlights

• Around 125 works by Paul Klee on the lower level
• Paintings by Pablo Picasso from 1938 to 1969 on the ground floor
• Five Picasso portraits of the donor Angela Rosengart
• Works by Matisse, Chagall, Cézanne and Pissarro in the skylit hall
• Neoclassical bank building from 1924, converted by Roger Diener
• Children’s tours “Kinder führen Kinder” (Children Guide Children)

Permanent exhibitions

• Paul Klee im Untergeschoss – 125 watercolours, drawings and paintings document all of Klee’s creative periods.
• Pablo Picasso im Erdgeschoss – Chronological tour of Picasso’s paintings from 1938 to 1969.
• Picasso-Grafik und weitere Klassiker im Obergeschoss – Picasso’s drawings and prints, five portraits of Angela Rosengart and works by more than 20 other artists.

Founded

2002

Operated by

Stiftung Rosengart

Admission & discounts

According to the museum, the Swiss Museum Pass and the Raiffeisen card are valid; the Lucerne Museum Pass is available from Luzern Tourismus. Admission and tours are also available as vouchers.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

According to the operator, the museum is fully wheelchair accessible and barrier-free throughout.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly: not available

“Kinder führen Kinder”: teams of children guide children aged 7 to 11 through the museum without adults. Prams and strollers are not allowed in the museum.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located right in the centre of Lucerne.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop (orders by phone or email) with collection catalogue, books, postcards and posters.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 50 guests.

Events and aperitifs with a guided tour; dinners for 25 to 50 guests are possible on the ground floor.

Plan your visit