Amaryllis, Augusto Giacometti (1942)

Thanks to a transformational gift by Luba and Richard Barrett in 2018, The University of Texas at Dallas is now home to the Barrett Collection of Swiss Art.

Comprised of over 400 paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints and containing works dating from the late 14th through the mid-20th century, the Barrett Collection includes important pieces by every major artist born in Switzerland. It is considered to be the largest private collection of Swiss art ever formed.

Dallas residents Nona and Richard Barrett began the collection in the 1990s. During their travels in Switzerland, they realized Swiss art was widely unknown, underappreciated and undervalued outside of the country. Over time, the Barretts became the most knowledgeable American collectors of Swiss art of the past two generations. Since Nona’s death in 2014, Richard and his present wife, Luba, have continued to expand the collection.

The Barrett Collection will be housed in a new Barrett Museum to be built on campus. In addition to the artwork itself, funding from the Barrett Collection Foundation will support future acquisitions, including works by post-World War II and contemporary Swiss artists.

Landscape with Rhythmic Shapes, Ferdinand Hodler (1908)