Collections

Devoted entirely to the glass arts, the Vitromusée in Romont houses, manages and showcases important collections that bring together stained-glass windows, reverse paintings on glass, objects in glass, and graphic works, as well as tools and materials related to the glass arts. In addition, there are several thousand fragments of ancient windows and glazing schemes, as well as collections of works of art in glass. This collection, under one roof and touching on all facets of the glass arts, is unparalleled in Switzerland.

Since the opening of the Vitromusée in 1981, the collections have evolved continually, thanks to donations, acquisitions of specific objects, items on deposit or loan, and also as a result of emergency measures undertaken to safeguard Switzerland’s heritage in glass. The principal body lending to the Vitromusée Romont is the Vitrocentre Romont, its research partner and the owner, notably, of the Ruth and Frieder Ryser Collection of reverse paintings on glass, as well as various collections derived from the holdings of studios or individual artists.

Databases relating to the collections will be put on line incrementally from the summer of 2017, via the vitrosearch platform, a virtual research space that will encompass both Switerzerland’s glass heritage still in situ and other institutions.