The Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts (Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts or in short MCBA) in Lausanne was created in 1841. Its collection now comprises more than 10,000 artworks with a particular focus on art from the end of the eighteenth century to contemporary art.
Architecture
Previously housed inside the Espace Arlaud and then the Palais de Rumine, the MCBA occupies since 2019 a building designed by Spanish architecture studio Barozzi/Veiga and located in Lausanne's museum district Plateforme10.
The new building is a rectangular monolith, built parallel to the railway tracks. The deep vertical fins were designed in order to prevent any direct sunlight from entering the exhibition spaces. While its facade is mostly closed towards the railway side for conservation reasons, it is much more open towards the north. Its windows reflect the cityscape during the day while allowing artificial light to flow out onto the square during the night.
facade of the MCBA
MCBA, Lausanne - museum entrance in the evening
deep vertical fins of the MCBA's facade
full building view of the MCBA
MCBA and railway tracks
MCBA in the evening
The sculpture in front of the museum by Olivier Mosset and Xavier Veilhan is titled “Crocodile” after the iconic crocodile-shaped Swiss electric train engine that celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019.
"Crocodile" sculpture by Olivier Mosset and Xavier Veilhan in front of the MCBA
The MCBA's entrance hall, with views towards the Lausanne train station and the Léman, features the 14.5m high sculpture "Luce e ombra" by the Italian artist Giuseppe Penone. The arched window was preserved from the 19th-century train hall previously located in the space of the new museum building.
MCBA, Lausanne - entrance hall
entrance hall with the Luce e ombra sculpture by Giuseppe Penone
MCBA, Lausanne - entrance hall
In addition to the entrance hall with the ticket office, the ground floor offers space for the museum bookstore and a restaurant.
MCBA, Lausanne - restaurant
MCBA, Lausanne - bookstore
Inside the new museum building, the artworks are located on the second and third levels, with one side dedicated to the permanent collection and the other side used for temporary exhibitions.
Permanent Collection
Around 300 works are shown as part of the MCBA's permanent collection. The collection primarily highlights artists from French-speaking Switzerland, offering a rich insight into the region's cultural and artistic heritage. Additionally, the museum places these works in dialogue with international pieces, enabling comparisons across similar time periods or artistic movements.
Room 1, titled "The Road to Modernity" starts in the Renaissance period. "Le massacre de la Saint-Barthélemy" de François Dubois and several works by Charles Gleyre are shown here.
Le massacre de la Saint-Barthélemy, François Dubois
La bataille du Léman, Charles Gleyre, 1858
paintings by Charles Gleyre
In Room 2 of the permanent collection, Swiss painter Ernest Biéler is represented with several large scale works that illustrate both his depictions of life in the Valais region and his later explorations of the Art Nouveau style.
Devant l’église de Saint-Germain à Savièse, Ernest Biéler, 1886
Portrait d’Édouard Rod, Ernest Biéler, 1909
L’eau mystérieuse, Ernest Biéler, 1911
Rooms 3 and 4 show works from the post-impressionist period until the 1950. Among them are large collection of paintings by Lausanne-born painter Félix Vallotton.
Permanent Collection - Félix Vallotton
Other Swiss artists, such as Alberto Giacometti, Paul Klee and Ferdinand Hodler, are also on display.
Permanent Collection - Alberto Giacometti
Le lac Léman vu de Chexbres, Ferdinand Hodler, 1904
Am Nil, Paul Klee, 1939
In the same room, visitors can also admire paintings by Jean Dubuffet, part of an exceptional donation of 34 works from the art collection of Mireille and James Lévy, gifted to the MCBA in 2019.
Paintings "Portrait d’Antonin Artaud" (1950) and "Visage attentif" (1952) by Jean Dubuffet
La vision tisserande, Jean Dubuffet (1976)
On the third floor, visitors are immersed in contemporary art, starting with pioneering abstract works from the 1950s, including Pierre Soulages' Peinture, and moving through subsequent decades with works like Tadeusz Kantor's Multipart from 1970, offering an overview of modern artistic movements.
Peinture, Pierre Soulages
Multipart, Tadeusz Kantor (1970)
Pacific Fiction – Study for Monument, Julian Charrière, 2016
Sans titre, Olivier Mosset, 1982
Zénith by Chérif et Silvie Defraoui is an installation of 17 canvases that manipulate written words - cutting off their lower halves - to emphasize their symbolic and decorative potential.
Zénith, Chérif et Silvie Defraoui, 1991
Past Temporary Exhibitions
Thalassa ! Thalassa ! Imagery of the Sea
2024-10-04 - 2025-01-12
The Thalassa! exhibition at the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts in Lausanne explores humanity's enduring fascination with the sea through art from the 19th century to today. Featuring works across painting, photography, and installation, it examines shifting perceptions of the ocean as a space of mystery, beauty, and transformation, while addressing contemporary concerns like ecological crises and migratory challenges.
Soir antique, Alphonse Osbert, 1908
Thalassa! Salle 1 - Rivages
Thalassa! Salle 3 - Abysses
Thalassa! - Crochet Coral Reef
Surréalism. Le Grand Jeu
2024-04-12 - 2024-08-25
Marking the centennial of the first Surrealist manifesto, the MCBA’s 2024 exhibition explored the enduring relevance of Surrealism through the theme of play. Featuring over 60 historical and contemporary artists, the show examined how play served as both a creative and subversive force within the movement, challenging traditional values and inspiring new forms of art.
Cygnes reflétant des éléphants, Salvador Dali, 1937
Mouvement perpétual, René Magritte, 1935
The mirror, Dorothea Tanning, 1950
Rotorelief, Marcel Duchamp, 1935
Hallucinations en cinq chapitres, Maëlle Gross, 2024
Immersion. The Origins: 1949 - 1969
2023-11-04 - 2024-03-03
Spanning the 1950s and 1960s, the exhibition highlighted how immersive works, designed to engage the senses and break from daily life, emerged as a response to evolving perceptions of art and space. These installations invited audiences to become part of an alternative reality, blending art and viewer into a shared ecosystem.
hole in home, Ferdinand Spindel, 1966
Vento di s. e. velocità 40 nodi, Laura Grisi, 1968
Fanflashtic, USCO, 1968
Une caverne de l’anti-matière, Pinot Gallizio, 1958-1959
Feather Room, Judy Chicago, 1966
Spazio elastico, Gianni Colombo, 1967
Raemar Pink White, James Turrell, 1969
Lubaina Himid. So many dreams
2022-11-04 - 2023-02-05
The exhibition Lubaina Himid. So Many Dreams offered a comprehensive overview of the British artist's four-decade career, showcasing her vibrant paintings and monumental installations. A pioneer of the British Black Art movement and winner of the 2017 Turner Prize, Himid’s work explores overlooked histories, colonial legacies, and the extraordinary in daily life. Drawing inspiration from theater, opera, Western painting, and global textile patterns, she creates spaces that challenge viewers to reconsider narratives, memory, and their own place within her works.
Lubaina Himid. So many dreams
Blue Grid Test, Lubaina Himid
Old Boat/New Money, Lubaina Himid
Lubaina Himid. So many dreams
Freedom and Change, Lubaina Himid
Kiki Smith. Hearing You with My Eyes
2020-10-09 - 2021-01-10
The exhibition featured nearly 100 works by German-born American artist Kiki Smith, spanning 40 years, many of which had never been shown in Europe. Centered on sensory perception, it explored Smith’s focus on the body, its symbolic meaning, and its connection to the natural world.
Untitled, Kiki Smith, 1992
Series of 12 tapestries, Kiki Smith, 2012-2015
Rogue Stars, Kiki Smith, 2012
Moon on Crutches, Kiki Smith, 2002
Untitled, Kiki Smith, 1990
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