Zurich’s controversial Bührle Collection is rehung, including five paintings by Van Gogh—plus one forgery

The Emil Bührle Collection has been completely rehung at the Kunsthaus Zurich, where it has been on long-term loan since 2021, with 205 works on view in a display opening this week. The rehang includes five paintings by Vincent van Gogh and also includes one fake; a sixth Van Gogh is undergoing conservation and a seventh has been withdrawn due to a Nazi-era provenance issue. The collection’s founder, Emil Bührle (1890–1956), built his fortune as an arms dealer through Oerlikon-Bührle, including sales from neutral Switzerland during the Second World War, and he acquired much of his art during and just after the Nazi period (1933–45). Although provenance information has been published, the collection remains controversial because some works previously belonged to persecuted Jewish owners and questions persist about certain ownership histories.

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