UNTERLINDEN MUSEUM

The Musée Unterlinden invites you on a journey through some 7,000 years of history, from prehistory to ^21st-century art, at the heart of encyclopedic collections. The tour takes in the many facets of the museum's architecture, unified and magnified by Basel architects Herzog & de Meuron, in four distinct areas.

In the former monastery building, the tour revolves around the beautiful ^13th-century medieval cloister, culminating in the famous Issenheim Altarpiece (1512-1516) by Grünewald and Nicolas de Haguenau (fully renovated in 2019) presented in the chapel. This space is devoted to art from the Middle Ages, Merovingian, Romanesque and Gothic (statues, baptismal fonts, tombstones) and the Renaissance, particularly Rhenish art during its golden age in the ^15th and ^16th centuries. Works by Martin Schongauer, Hans Holbein and Lucas Cranach are on display.

In the basement of the convent, a space dedicated to archaeology from the Neolithic to the Iron Age unveils rare objects (Neolithic jars, gold jewelry from the princely Ensisheim burial site...) and deciphers the evolution of human occupation in Alsace: agriculture, crafts, housing, domestic life, funerary practices. This area provides magnificent evidence of popular arts and traditions throughout the region's history, notably through the Bergheim Mosaic (^3rd century).

The Gallery is devoted to the history of the museum, as well as to the arts of the ^19th and ^20th centuries. It features collections from the patrimonies of Alsace's patrons and leading industrial families. Gustave Doré, Jean-Jacques Henner and Auguste Renoir are among the major artists featured in this section, as are Théophile Schuler, Georges Rouault and Claude Monet.

The importance of landscape painting in Alsace is also illustrated by paintings by Jean-Jacques Karpff (1770-1829) and his talented pupil Henri Lebert (1794-1862).

On the ^{twentieth-century} side, the Musée Unterlinden showcases paintings, watercolors, prints, sculptures and glassware by the great names of the 1930s: Robert Delaunay and Hans Reichel, Daum and Gallé, Alberto Magnelli, Jeanne Coppel..

Inaugurated in 1906, the former baths provide an ideal venue for temporary events (concerts, conferences, exhibitions...) and private receptions. The adjacent contemporary wing is a new showcase for major ^{twentieth-century} artists. The Ackerhof is distinguished by its uncluttered architecture, allowing it to blend in with the other buildings that make up the museum in its current form. Its brick cladding and copper roofing, as well as the Gothic arched openings, all contribute to its harmonious integration into the original architectural ensemble. Right down to the picture rails designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron, which resemble the structures created to display the shutters of the Issenheim Altarpiece in the former convent.

Built on two levels, the Ackerhof houses the Musée Unterlinden's modern art collection. Works by major artists are masterfully showcased: Dubuffet, Baumeistern Hartung Léger and Picasso stand side by side with lyrical abstractionists such as Hartung, Hantaï, Atlan, Poliakoff, Soulages and Maria Elena Vieira Da Silva.

Guernica. The Musée Unterlinden exhibits the famous tapestry based on Picasso's work by Jacqueline de la Baume-Dürrbach. It is one of only three copies in existence to date, the very first being exhibited in the UN Security Council Chamber in New York.

Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985). The Musée Unterlinden presents a number of works by the artist from Le Havre, the most famous of which is undoubtedly Don Coucoubazar (1974), in which the artist condenses painting and sculpture in a play of interlocking forms, in a constant display of acrylic colors punctuated by white, blue, red and black. This work is a major figure in the Colmar collection.

The Otto Dix collection (1891-1969). The Musée Unterlinden now holds sixteen works by this major figure of German Expressionism. In early 2022, two of his black chalk drawings on paper, Les Pouls and Billy Montigny, were added to the museum's collection of works by Otto Dix. This is the largest collection in France to date. Did you know that Otto Dix had strong ties with the town of Colmar? Held prisoner in the Loglebach camp during the Second World War, the artist had the opportunity to discover the Issenheim Altarpiece, a work for which he developed an inextinguishable fascination.

At the end of your visit, which we're sure will leave you with unforgettable images, take the time to enjoy a snack at Café Schongauer, the museum's pleasant dining and relaxation area. A terrace in the Ackerhof courtyard invites you to relax and unwind in the shade of young apple trees. Continuous service is provided from 11 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., and the menu offers simple yet refined dishes and delicious pastries. To finish on a high note, a visit to the museum store is a must: exhibition catalogs and fine books on art, chic stationery and accessories, games and books for children - there's something for every taste and every age!