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The ROBERT COLLECTION arose from private initiative and through years of searching for stored-away, and partly lost, original water-colours.
On 15 December, 1972, Biel City Council (decision No. 1637), pledged to fund half the cost of acquiring the collection of about 400 water-colours of caterpillars painted by Léo-Paul Robert.
This pledge was a response to the Biel Art Association’s very successful exhibition of the overlooked treasures of wildlife water-colours painted by the Robert family. The exhibition led to the setting up of a Launching Committee, chaired by Dr. Heinrich Spinner. Just as the collection of caterpillar paintings had been rescued from being scattered to the four winds, so the Committee – thanks to generous private donations, further public support and help from the Robert family – managed to acquire the following series of water-colours by two sons of Léo-Paul:
- Philippe Robert’s 13 original water-colours for his published portfolio of autumn leaves “Feuilles d’automne” ;
- Paul-André Robert’s paintings of 64 fungi, 27 Brazilian butterflies, 34 European butterflies, 33 insects, 21 dragonflies, 44 birds, 15 parrots, and much more besides.
There then followed, in 1980, the establishment of the Foundation Collection Robert with the aim to “collect, curate and make publicly accessible the paintings by the Robert family, especially water-colours and drawings of flora and fauna by Léo-Paul Robert, Philippe Robert und Paul-André Robert.”
On 7 December 1982, exactly ten years after the re-discovery of the natural history paintings, and in the presence of leading municipal officials, the Robert Museum of Botanical and Animal Art opened in a building belonging to the Charles Neuhaus Foundation. Thus was born Biel’s first art museum.
When the building on the Schüsspromenade was expanded to become the Museum Neuhaus in 1993-1995, the Collection Robert – thanks to the Neuhaus project’s great financial involvement – gained specially adapted rooms, particularly suited to conservation of water-colours. And, enhancing its own collection, came significant permanent loans: Léo-Paul Robert’s water-colours of birds from the Gottfried Keller Foundation and Philippe Robert’s “Flore alpine” from the City of Biel.
The Robert Foundation Biel holds in its Collection the following works:
by Léo-Paul Robert:
500 water-colours, drawings and sketches of caterpillars, 87 plates of birds (deposited by the Gottfried Keller Foundation),
numerous individual paintings of birds, the early bird books illustrated by LPR, and numerous diverse paintings.
by Philippe Robert:
84 water-colours of alpine flowers (on loan from the City of Biel), 20 water-colours and drawings for his portfolio of autumn leaves, numerous paintings (mostly landscapes) and various single water-colours and gouache.
by Paul-André Robert:
180 dragonfly water-colours and drawings, numerous sketches and studies,
115 water-colours and studies of fungi,
32 water-colours of insects, as well as numerous drawings and sketches,
60 water-colours of European and Brazilian butterflies,
50 water-colours of birds of prey, gallinaceous birds, water birds and waders,
15 water-colours of parrots,
40 water-colours of tropical and marsh plants, as well as countless drawings and studies,
30 water-colours of various sea creatures,
20 water-colours of alpine flowers, as well as various paintings, studies and documents.
Works by other painters from the Robert family, include items by Léopold, Aurèle und Théophile.
The Collection is accessible for study in the store-room.
The Foundations Archive contains the journals and correspondence of Aurèle Robert, Julie Robert-Schneider, Léo-Paul Robert, Berthe Robert-de Rutté – indeed the originals and in a commented transcription by Elisabeth Reichen-Robert, a daughter of Paul-André Robert.
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