Aargau Art Museum (Aargauer Kunsthaus)

The Aargauer Kunsthaus is the art museum of the canton of Aargau, located in Aarau on Aargauerplatz, close to the old town and the railway station. It is one of the main museums of Swiss art in the country, with a collection that runs from the late eighteenth century to the present. The museum has its roots in the nineteenth century, when the Aargau art society began assembling a collection, and it has grown into an institution of national standing. Aarau itself is a town of painted gables and quiet streets, and the museum adds a cultural focus that many visitors do not expect in a small city.

The building is a mix of old and new. The original museum building dates from the mid-twentieth century and is a modernist structure with large windows and clear lines. In the early 2000s it was extended by the Basel architects Herzog and de Meuron, who added a new wing and unified the whole complex, with a bright, light-filled interior suited to showing art. The galleries are spacious, with white walls and generous daylight, and the arrangement allows both small and large works to be shown well. The architecture is therefore part of the experience, and architecture fans often visit for the building as much as the art.

The collection focuses on Swiss art and traces its development over more than two centuries. Early highlights include the Alpine paintings of Caspar Wolf, an eighteenth-century artist from Aargau who was among the first to paint glaciers and mountains from direct observation, in a period when most people saw them as frightening. The nineteenth century is represented by Johann Heinrich Füssli, known abroad as Henry Fuseli, and by Ferdinand Hodler, whose symbolist landscapes and figure paintings are among the best-known Swiss works. Cuno Amiet and Giovanni Giacometti, who painted in a colourful, post-impressionist manner, stand for the early twentieth century, and works by later artists bring the story up to contemporary art, including video, installation and photography.

Temporary exhibitions are an important part of the programme and often present emerging artists, thematic shows and experimental projects, so the museum has a lively and changing character. There is a café and a shop in the building, and talks, guided tours and family activities are offered. Labels are mainly in German, and some are also in English, so it helps to check the available guides in advance.

The museum is a short walk from the railway station, which is useful for visitors on a day trip from Zürich or Basel. Combining it with a stroll through the old town, with its painted gables and fountains, makes a good half day. Opening times, closing days and ticket prices change, so check the website. The museum suits art lovers, architecture followers and anyone interested in Swiss culture. Allow one to two hours for the permanent collection and temporary exhibition, and bring a camera for the interior spaces, where photography is usually allowed in non-exhibition areas.