Most of the art held at the Fondation de l’Hermitage has come to us through spontaneous donations, bequests and long-term loans received since the museum opened in 1984. Today the collection includes over 800 works, some of which are regularly loaned to other museums in Switzerland and internationally. During temporary exhibitions, a relevant selection of works from the collection is shown in the underground gallery, opened in 2003, and in the Salon Bleu on the museum’s first floor, which also houses a display on the history of the Bugnion family and the building.
The Fondation de l’Hermitage houses the entire collection of the Fondation pour l’Art et la Culture, comprising major works by artists active in Vaud and French-speaking Switzerland, including René Auberjonois, Ernest Biéler, François Bocion, Marius Borgeaud, Gustave Buchet, Raoul Domenjoz, Ferdinand Hodler, Jean Lecoultre, Gérard de Palézieux, Léopold Robert, Steven-Paul Robert, Pietro Sarto, Louis Soutter and Félix Vallotton.
Also housed at the Fondation de l’Hermitage is the remarkable collection of Chinese porcelain assembled by the collector Marie Vergottis (1914-1999). This comprises 400 pieces of exceptional quality, a selection of which can be seen in the museum’s basement.
The Fondation de l’Hermitage adheres to the norms and standards recommended by the ICOM and SMA.
