Gallo-Roman World
In the heart of Lousonna, an archaeological trail leads through a vicus, a Gallo-Roman settlement unearthed in recent decades. The necropolis testifies to the site's occupation as early as the Mesolithic period, around 8000 BC. The tour continues at the Musée Romain de Lausanne-Vidy, which presents the remains of a luxurious Roman domus with its painted bedroom. In a verdant setting by the lake, the ruins of the forum still mark Lausanne's ancient city center. With a little imagination, and the help of the optical glasses provided, you can project yourself onto the square, in front of the basilica and the temple dedicated to the cult of Rome.
Between the museum and the park, a mosaic with geometric motifs once embellished a Gallo-Roman residence.
Middle Ages
Switzerland as we know it was divided into several cultural zones. Gothic sculpture, influenced by trends in the Île-de-France region, was particularly prominent in Geneva and Lausanne. In this respect, Lausanne Cathedral and its portal are a priceless heritage. Dating from the early 13th century, the portal shows remarkable attention to detail. The polychromy of its sculptures is remarkably well preserved. Medieval art at the end of the 14th century marked a turning point. Drawings became more naturalistic, and themes became less religious. In the absence of Swiss art schools, painters left to train in neighboring countries. Some continued their careers abroad.
The Landscape
Switzerland and its mountain ranges were an early magnet for travelers. By the end of the 18th century, snow-covered landscapes had become the great Swiss subject. Caspar Wolf (1735-1783) specialized in high mountain painting. Similarly, Lake Geneva inspired several generations of artists.
A leader of the realist movement, the Frenchman Gustave Courbet (1810-1877) supported the action of the Paris Commune in 1871, during which he proposed tearing down the Vendôme column at his own expense. He was obliged to reimburse the damage caused, and his property and paintings were confiscated. Ruined, he went into exile in La Tour-de-Peilz, after spending time in Veytaux, Clarens and Montreux. He died in 1877 at his lakeside home in Bon-Port, before he had even begun to repay his debts.
François Bocion (1828-1890), a lover of Lake Geneva, developed a taste for plein-air painting in Switzerland. After growing up in Lausanne, Montreux and Vevey, he studied in Paris. An unfortunate case of typhoid forced him to return home for good. His first paintings were of historical subjects, then, influenced by the landscapes of Jean-Baptiste Corot, François Bocion turned his attention to depicting scenes of Lake Geneva. Appointed professor of drawing at the École industrielle cantonale, he taught there until his death.
A pupil of François Bocion, Eugène Grasset was born in Lausanne in 1845. Influenced by his decorator and sculptor father, he turned to drawing and then architecture, before working as a graphic designer. He designed La Semeuse soufflant une fleur de pissenlit for the Larousse dictionary.
Félix Vallotton, also born in Lausanne in 1865, is best known for his woodcuts and black-and-white illustrations. Enrolled at the age of 17 at the Académie Julian in Paris, he joined the post-Impressionist Nabis movement and, after his marriage, devoted himself exclusively to painting. He was strongly inspired by the horror of the First World War before his death in 1925. A foundation dedicated to his life and work was set up in Lausanne in 1998.
Although Switzerland officially became a federal state in 1848, a typically Swiss artistic style did not emerge. The Société Suisse des Beaux-Arts, founded in 1806, began organizing touring events in 1840. Its "tours" were designed to spread art throughout the country. Nevertheless, the Swiss continued to train abroad.
Modernity
Sculpture flourished in the 20th century. Favored by commissions for commemorative monuments, this art form saw the emergence of two masters: Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966) and his filiform figures, and Jean Tinguely (1925-1991) and his fascinating machines. The pictorial currents of these decades preferred to develop in Zurich or Basel.
Today, the Musée d'Art de Pully brings together regional contemporary art, both emerging and established. Nineteenth- and twentieth-century art is also represented. The museum's main holdings revolve around the works of Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz, Raoul Domenjoz, Jean Lecoultre, Jaques Berger, Albert Edgar Yersin and Marius Borgeaud, of whom the Musée d'Art de Pully has the second-largest collection, after the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne.
The MCBA collection comprises some 11,000 works, ranging from the 18th century to post-impressionism, with major works of cubism and Vaud abstraction. Its reputation rests on five flagship collections: the Abraham-Louis-Rodolphe Ducros, Charles Gleyre, Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, Félix Vallotton and Louis Soutter holdings.
Art Brut Collection
French painter Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985) chose Lausanne to establish his exceptional collection. Founded in 1971, the collection is devoted to works by self-taught artists. The 18th-century Château de Beaulieu houses the most extensive collection of art brut, amassed mainly by the artist himself. The term, coined by Dubuffet, refers to works in all media created by untrained outsiders who give free rein to their imaginations and make art only for themselves. Some of these surprising artists produce in prisons or psychiatric hospitals, others simply at home, but generally out of sight. With no particular artistic culture, these men and women have access to a purified form of creation, an art in its raw state. Collages, paintings, installations and drawings of unparalleled creativity transport you into unsettling worlds. The authenticity of each of the 5,000 pieces makes a visit to the Art Brut collection an unforgettable experience.
Art of today
In the quiet streets of Lausanne, street art has made its mark over the last ten years. Urban artists have two options: the street or specialized galleries. Outdoors, electrical cabinets donated by the municipality have been decorated since 2009 by students from a vocational training center. More than 600 are scattered across the city. As for galleries, some are run by street artists who sell turnkey graffiti executed to order.
Places like the Eye Food Factory are driven by a desire to make urban and contemporary art in general accessible. Both established and emerging artists offer street-inspired works in limited editions.
A little of everything can be found on the walls of several districts. In this respect, the Flon district is the pulsating heart of the city. Even if the alternative élan of yesteryear has subsided, there are still plenty of activities to enrich your stroll. If you set off from the Flon esplanade, you won't miss the black walls of the Picpus building, covered with trompe l'oeil statues. The Flon elevator and footbridge lead to the Chauderon underpass, decorated with a variety of frescoes. The underpasses of the Malley district also conceal collective works. Pastel tones and black-and-white tags brighten up the concrete of these hidden paths.
Around the lake, head for the Bowl de Vidy. The walls of the skatepark feature cheerful faces and comic characters.
Tomorrow's Places
A cultural stroll would be incomplete without a selection of galleries. Galerie Art & Émotion focuses on internationally renowned artists. Espace Abstract, dedicated to contemporary art, is a laboratory for artists and collectors. Galerie HumuS seeks out offbeat artists whose work evokes emotion, whether through humor, incongruity or eroticism. The young Fabienne Levy gallery aims to question our society through site-specific projects. The gallery's aim is to showcase works that open our eyes to today's world and its issues. To this end, she has set up shop just a stone's throw from the city's future arts district, Plateforme 10.
In June 2022, the Musée de l'Élysée, dedicated to photography, opened its doors in the cultural district near the station. Its collection covers the entire history of photography, from the daguerreotype to the digital era, and brings together all branches of photography: artistic, documentary and photojournalistic, portraits and travel albums. One of Lausanne's leading photographers, Luc Chessex, born in 1936, worked in Cuba, where he produced portraits of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara before returning home. He then embarked on a world tour, which he documented with his lens. Matthieu Gafsou, born in 1981, lives and works in Lausanne. This has not prevented him from developing an international career. He began by taking an interest in landscape and architecture, before tackling social issues that touch on the human condition. His "H+" exhibition at the Rencontres de la photographie d'Arles left a lasting impression, questioning transhumanism on every scale and across the globe. Her images, which flirt with the documentary genre, follow a thread of universal significance.
Would you like to visit a contemporary art center that's open to the general public? The Club d'art contemporain (CLAC) shares its affordable art collections with as many people as possible. As an added bonus, informal debates and screenings invite art lovers of all ages to join in the fun. A dynamic place where living art acts as a link between people.
